Multiple Implementation Models Could Drive CGM Adoption in Primary Care Practices

Primary care clinics could provide educational support to help individuals manage diabetes by using continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to track blood glucose levels, according to researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The study authors published their findings in BMC Primary Care.1,2

“This is great news for people with diabetes, especially those who don’t have easy access to a diabetes specialist,” Kimberly Wiggins, MA, MEd, the lead author on the study and an instructor in family medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said in a news release. “It shows that novel approaches can be developed to share resources, including diabetes care and education specialists, to start patients on CGM and then transition them back to their primary care practice.”²

CGMs Use for Diabetes Care

A CGM device is a sensor that sits under the skin to continuously measure glucose levels, helping individuals manage their diabetes. Results are sent to the individual through a wearable device or a cell phone app that allows them to track glucose changes in real time.³

Most diabetes management takes place in primary care settings, where CGM has been shown to provide clinical, behavioral, and psychosocial benefits. Although CGM use is growing in these settings, further research is needed to identify effective models that support its implementation across diverse primary care practices.^1,2

Implementation of CGM in Primary Care

Researchers conducted a multiple-methods study that evaluated strategies to implement CGM in primary care, focusing on practices in Colorado. The study used a mixed-methods approach, comparing baseline practice characteristics across groups using chi-square and t-tests and conducting semi-structured interviews to understand factors influencing each practice’s choice of implementation method.^1,2

A total of 76 primary care practices were included, which assessed 2 different approaches to help practices start using CGMs with their patients. Some primary care practices opted for a self-guided approach using educational resources from the American Academy of Family Physicians Transformation in Practice Series (TIPS), while others referred patients to a virtual CGM initiation server managed by a multidisciplinary primary care team involved in the study.^1,2

“Our goal was to find practical approaches to help primary care clinics offer CGMs to their patients,” Tamara Oser, MD, senior author of the study and professor and director of the Primary Care Diabetes Lab [TO1] in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said in the news release.²

The results demonstrated that 46 primary care practices chose self-implementation using the TIPS module, and 16 of the 46 practices had a diabetes care and educational specialist (DCES) in their practice. Additionally, the 30 remaining practices chose the virtual CGM initiation services, and none of them had a DCES.^1,2

“We found that both methods worked. Even clinics without in-house diabetes experts were able to successfully offer CGM by using the remote option,” Oser shared in the news release.²

The findings suggest that DCES can lead technology adoption, but multiple implementation models may be needed to expand CGM use in primary care.^1,2

“This is especially helpful for people who can’t easily see a diabetes specialist because they live in rural areas, experience insurance challenges, or face long wait times,” Oser said in the news release. “This approach gives more people access to life-changing technology that is now the standard of care for many people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, no matter where they live or what kind of clinic they go to. This is another huge step in better treatment for the 38 million people living with diabetes in the US.”²

REFERENCES

1. Wiggins, K.T., Hall, T.L., Jortberg, B. et al. Primary care practices’ choice of implementation strategy for continuous glucose monitoring for patients with diabetes: a multiple methods study within a larger hybrid type-3 effectiveness-implementation study. BMC Prim. Care 26, 195 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-025-02903-0

2. Primary care clinics can successfully use glucose monitors to help people with diabetes. EurekAlert! News release. June 9, 2025. Accessed October 14, 2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1086784

3. Cleveland Clinic. Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM). Updated May 24, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/continuous-glucose-monitoring-cgm