The impact of flash glucose monitoring on the clinical practice of healthcare professionals working in diabetes care

Aims: Research has identified that healthcare professionals' attitudes in clinical consulta-tions impact the efficacy of their communication with service users and the blood glucose monitoring behaviours of their clients. Yet no research has sought to understand the impact of flash glucose monitoring on the experience of undertaking clinical consultations. This qualitative study aimed to explore the impact that flash glucose monitoring has on the clinical practice of healthcare professionals. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seventeen Healthcare Profes-sionals (female: n = 13; male: n = 4) working with flash glucose monitoring, analysed via Thematic Analysis. Results: Three themes were identified: (1) Delivering Person-centred Care; (2) Shift in Dia-betes Management; and (3) Time Burden. These themes highlight that flash glucose mon-itoring facilitates person-centred care through the provision of comprehensive data which improves communication between healthcare professionals and service users. However, preparing for consultations which integrate flash glucose monitoring requires a significant, potentially burdensome time investment. Conclusions: Flash glucose monitoring enhances the strategic ability of healthcare profes-sionals to provide evidence-based patient-centred care. This facilitates growth in service users' self-efficacy and encourages targeted diabetes self-management. However, further training is needed to optimise the ability of clinicians to rapidly interrogate and present monitoring data to users. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.