The Empowerment study
Feasibility of an education program to Empower adults with type 1 diabetes to interpret CGM data
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has become the standard of care for type 1 diabetes management, yet many individuals living with diabetes struggle to effectively interpret and act on their CGM data. To address this gap, the "Making Sense" program was developed in response to the "Empowering Us: Design and Use of Technology for Type 1 Diabetes" survey, conducted by Diabetes Victoria and The University of Melbourne's Diabetes Technology Research Group in 2021. This is a structured education program designed to empower adults with type 1 diabetes to better utilize their CGM data, co-designed with stakeholders including people with lived experience.
This study aimed to test a new education program called "Making Sense", that aims to help adults with type 1 diabetes better understand and use the data from their continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). The program involved online learning modules and group sessions led by a peer facilitator (someone with type 1 diabetes) and a diabetes educator.
This study found that the program was feasible to run, with 81% of participants completing it. Furthermore, most participants (83%) said they would recommend the program to others with type 1 diabetes. After completing the program, participants reported feeling less distressed about their diabetes, more satisfied with how they were managing their diabetes, and for those with higher HbA1c levels at the start, there was a significant improvement in their blood glucose control
These results suggest that the Making Sense program may be a helpful way to educate people on using their CGM data. Participants found it acceptable and there were some promising signs it could improve both psychological well-being and blood glucose control. This was a small initial study to test if the program was feasible. In the future, we will need to complete a larger study to confirm if Making Sense truly improves outcomes for people with type 1 diabetes using CGMs. The program may also benefit from being tailored to participant's differing levels of experience with CGMs.
We would like to thank the Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI) for providing the funding to develop the Making Sense program, as well as all the members of the type 1 diabetes community who contributed to the codesign process, and Diabetes Victoria for piloting this program.
To read the publication, click here
The Empowerment study
Feasibility of an education program to Empower adults with type 1 diabetes to interpret CGM data
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has become the standard of care for type 1 diabetes management, yet many individuals living with diabetes struggle to effectively interpret and act on their CGM data. To address this gap, the "Making Sense" program was developed in response to the "Empowering Us: Design and Use of Technology for Type 1 Diabetes" survey, conducted by Diabetes Victoria and The University of Melbourne's Diabetes Technology Research Group in 2021. This is a structured education program designed to empower adults with type 1 diabetes to better utilize their CGM data, co-designed with stakeholders including people with lived experience.
This study aimed to test a new education program called "Making Sense", that aims to help adults with type 1 diabetes better understand and use the data from their continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). The program involved online learning modules and group sessions led by a peer facilitator (someone with type 1 diabetes) and a diabetes educator.
This study found that the program was feasible to run, with 81% of participants completing it. Furthermore, most participants (83%) said they would recommend the program to others with type 1 diabetes. After completing the program, participants reported feeling less distressed about their diabetes, more satisfied with how they were managing their diabetes, and for those with higher HbA1c levels at the start, there was a significant improvement in their blood glucose control
These results suggest that the Making Sense program may be a helpful way to educate people on using their CGM data. Participants found it acceptable and there were some promising signs it could improve both psychological well-being and blood glucose control. This was a small initial study to test if the program was feasible. In the future, we will need to complete a larger study to confirm if Making Sense truly improves outcomes for people with type 1 diabetes using CGMs. The program may also benefit from being tailored to participant's differing levels of experience with CGMs.
We would like to thank the Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI) for providing the funding to develop the Making Sense program, as well as all the members of the type 1 diabetes community who contributed to the codesign process, and Diabetes Victoria for piloting this program.
To read the publication, click here