Patient Experience with Continuous Glucose Monitoring During Dialysis in Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study
<b>Objective:</b> To explore the lived experiences of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) or hemodialysis (HD) using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). <b>Research Design and Methods</b>: A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted with 50 adult T2DM patients on PD or HD who used CGM for at least 14 days. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A thematic analysis framework was applied to identify major themes regarding insulin management, CGM utilization, and emotional and social dimensions. <b>Results:</b> Four main themes emerged, each with multiple subthemes. PD patients emphasized enhanced autonomy and frequent insulin adjustments due to dialysate glucose absorption. Conversely, HD patients reported severe post-dialysis fatigue, emotional distress, and limited social engagement often associated with intra-dialytic hypoglycemia. CGM was valued by 85% of participants for improving metabolic awareness and self-management. However, 15% reported barriers such as device cost and technical difficulties. The insights clearly distinguish the differential impact of dialysis modality on daily glucose control and patient well-being. <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings underscore the critical need for patient-centered care incorporating access to CGM and tailored insulin regimens. Equitable implementation of CGM in dialysis settings could significantly enhance glycemic control, emotional resilience, and overall quality of life.
Authors
- Miguel Ángel Cuevas‐Budhart (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3379-0147)
- Marcelo Avendaño
- Ramón Paniagua (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3577-9707)
- M. Villavicencio
- Marcela Ávila (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8855-9682)
- Dante Atzin Juncos Ríos
- Maricela Beatriz Rocha-Carrillo
Institutions
- Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala (MX)
- Mexican Social Security Institute (MX)
- Hospital General de México (MX)
- Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI (MX)
- Hospital General De Zona (MX)
- Hospital de Especialidades (MX)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Clinical Medicine
- Published
- 2025-09-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14196943
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Diabetes Management and Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.29