JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Diabetes affects millions of Americans, with primary care providers (PCPs) increasingly managing care in areas with limited endocrinologist access. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) demonstrates superior glycemic control compared to self-monitoring. However, PCPs' comfort with CGM remains poorly understood.

Objective:

This study assessed PCPs' comfort levels with prescribing and utilizing CGM for type 2 diabetes management and identified barriers to adoption.

Methods:

A survey with demographic questions and 12 Likert-scale items evaluating comfort with CGM benefits, patient education, prescribing, and training interest was distributed to PCPs at six primary care sites within a large urban primary care network. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results:

Of 64 respondents, 25% regularly prescribed CGM, 50% prescribed infrequently, 21.9% managed patients using CGM without prescribing, and 3.1% had no CGM experience. While 76.6% felt comfortable discussing CGM benefits and 62.5% felt comfortable prescribing, only 42.2% were comfortable educating patients on use and 54.7% interpreting data. Although 96.9% agreed CGM improves management, 90.6% identified insurance as a barrier and 50% cited time constraints. Notably, 90.6% supported team-based approaches and 88.9% wanted additional training.

Conclusions:

PCPs show variable CGM comfort, with gaps in patient education and data interpretation. Insurance coverage and time constraints hinder adoption. High training interest and support for team-based care present opportunities for intervention. Targeted education and interdisciplinary approaches could effectively integrate CGM into primary care, improving patient outcomes.