Evaluation of a Continuous Glucose Monitoring-Based Insulin Titration Protocol for Inpatients With Type 2 Diabetes in Nonintensive Care Unit Settings

BACKGROUND: No widely adopted continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)-based insulin titration protocol exists, which may limit the effects of inpatient CGM on glycemic and clinical outcomes. We evaluate the acceptability and operability of the protocol proposed by Olsen et al for inpatients with type 2 diabetes in non-intensive care unit (non-ICU) settings.

METHOD: 7 inpatient diabetes team members, responsible for daily insulin titration, decided on insulin adjustments for 353 days. The members had the option to follow the CGM-based insulin protocol or override it for basal, prandial, and correctional insulin, separately, in 84 inpatients monitored by CGM. Questionnaires were used to evaluate the protocol's operability by the teams.

RESULTS: Of 456 basal insulin titration decisions, 439 (96.3%) adhered to the protocol. For prandial insulin, adherence rates were 83.9% (125/149) for breakfast, 87.2% (130/149) for lunch, and 92.6% (138/149) for dinner (p=0.163). All correctional insulin titrations adhered to the protocol. All team members expressed a preference for having a protocol for CGM-based insulin titration and rated the protocol's usability on a 1 to 10 scale, with mean scores (SD) of 8.7 (0.9) for basal insulin, 8.3 (1.4) for prandial insulin, and 7.4 (1.9) for correctional insulin.

CONCLUSIONS: The CGM-based insulin titration protocol by Olsen et al has been successfully implemented for titrating basal, prandial, and correctional insulin in inpatients with type 2 diabetes in non-ICU settings. It was highly accepted by inpatient diabetes teams and provides a framework for effective CGM implementation in these settings.