Smartphones Not Listed On CGM Compatibility List Provide Similar Outcomes
However, investigators did not determine the association between compatibility status and loss-of-signal alarms.
Individuals who had a low-compatible smartphone had similar, high active continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) time compared with those whose smartphone was more compatible, according to results of a study published in Health Policy and Technology. However, the association between compatibility status and loss-of-signal alarms was not determined.1
Mobile applications could potentially be used as an alternative for CGMs, especially in areas with low resources. | Image Credit: Halfpoint | stock.adobe.com
CGMs have been widely utilized to monitor blood glucose levels for patients with diabetes, and the sensors for CGMs must meet specific requirements to be approved for measurements. The devices are considered reliable and have demonstrated efficacy for improving hemoglobin A1c, reducing hypoglycemia, and improving time in range. Since CGMs are becoming more widely used, there is a need and push for data to be standardized and streamline to patients’ mobile devices. This will provide immediate feedback for patients to support their outcomes, according to Endotext.1,2
In another study published in Primary Care Diabetes, mobile applications could potentially be used as an alternative for CGMs, especially in areas with low resources. The alternative can help to improve glycemic control and quality of life for patients who do not have access to diabetes technology services due to their unavailability or cost.3
In the current study, investigators aimed to determine the proportion of patients with diabetes that used CGMs with an app on a compatible mobile phone and compared their glycemic metrics with patients who used less compatible (unlisted) mobile phones, according to the study authors. Individuals included in the study were using the Freestyle Libre 2 sensor in combination with the Librelink app and had their glucose data uploaded to the LibreView shared platform within the previous 3 months prior to the study. The glycemic data was downloaded, and information about the application version, the operative system (OS) version of the smartphone, and the model of the smartphone were obtained. Data was collected from April 29 and April 30, 2024.1
There were 248 patients included in the study, with 24.2% having smartphones that were fully compatible. The most common reason why the mobile devices were not compatible included not being listed as approved due to lack of testing of the specific OS version with the version of the app downloaded. A perfect match for compatibility included the app version downloaded to the mobile device being approved for use for the specific model of the device and the OS version.1
The more liberal definition of compatibility included 70.4% of patients, which included less stringent criteria, according to the study author. Approximately 94.3% of patients had active CGM time greater than 50%, and all other patients were excluded. Patients with mobile phones released after March 2023 because they were considered newer and not tested for compatibility. Investigators included 219 patients in the final analysis. Patients with or without a compatible phone had comparable glycemic metrics, including active CGM time, with a median of 96% for all groups.1
