A clinical education video featuring diabetes specialist nurse Malcolm reviews how continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) work in Type 1 diabetes and underscores a key practice point: CGMs measure interstitial, not blood, glucose, so readings can lag behind blood glucose changes and be less accurate at low ranges. The course also highlights practical gains including real-time trend data, alarms, and data-sharing features that can improve glycaemic management while requiring clinicians to counsel patients on device limitations.

Why It Matters To Your Practice

• CGM data can support more informed insulin adjustment and day-to-day diabetes management.

• Because sensors sample interstitial fluid, values may not match capillary glucose during rapid rises or falls.

• Low-glucose readings deserve extra caution, especially when symptoms and sensor values do not align.

• Patient education should include what CGMs can and cannot reliably tell them in real time.

Clinical Benefits

• Real-time glucose visibility can help improve glycaemic control.

• Trend arrows and alerts may help reduce hypoglycaemia risk.

• Shared data can support remote review and collaborative care planning.

• Metrics such as time in range and glycaemic variation can help tailor individualized management plans.

Managing Risks

• Advise patients to confirm suspected hypoglycaemia with fingerstick testing when recommended by the device or when clinical symptoms do not match the reading.

• Discuss lag time during exercise, meals, or correction dosing, when glucose may be changing quickly.

• Assess whether the patient has the vision, manual dexterity, and technical comfort needed to use the device safely.

• Review alarm fatigue, sensor wear issues, and other barriers that may affect adherence.

The Bottom Line

• CGMs are valuable tools for Type 1 diabetes care, but they are not direct blood glucose measurements.

• For NPs and PAs, the clinical win is pairing CGM insights with patient symptoms, confirmatory testing when needed, and individualized education.