Can flash glucose monitoring improve glucose management for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with type 2 diabetes? A protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

• Published in: Trials
• Main Authors: Hachem, Mariam, Hearn, Tracey, Kelly, Ray, Eer, Audrey, Moore, Belinda, Sommerville, Christine, Atkinson-Briggs, Sharon, Twigg, Stephen, Freund, Meagan, O'Neal, David, Story, David, Brown, Alex, McLean, Anna, Sinha, Ashim, Furler, John, O'Brien, Richard, Tran Duy, An, Clarke, Philip, Braat, Sabine, Koye, Digsu N, Eades, Sandra, Burchill, Luke, Ekinci, Elif
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BioMed Central 2024
• Subjects: Aboriginal and torres Strait Islander peoples; Continuous glucose monitoring; First Nations; Flash Glucose Monitoring; Freestyle Libre 2; HbA1c; Indigenous Australians; Randomised controlled trial; Type 2 diabetes; Abbott
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-024-08267-7; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39030640; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11264795/

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are disproportionately impacted by type 2 diabetes. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology (such as Abbott Freestyle Libre 2, previously referred to as Flash Glucose Monitoring) offers real-time glucose monitoring that is convenient and easy to use compared to self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). However, this technology's use is neither widespread nor subsidised for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with type 2 diabetes. Building on existing collaborations with a national network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, this randomised controlled trial aims to assess the effect of CGM compared to SMBG on (i) haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), (ii) achieving blood glucose targets, (iii) reducing hypoglycaemic episodes and (iv) cost-effective healthcare in an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people health setting.