How One Hospital System Nearly Closed the Gap on Continuous Glucose Monitor Use

When researchers at the University of Michigan looked at their pediatric Type 1 diabetes clinic in early 2022, they found that continuous glucose monitors—devices that track blood sugar around the clock—were not being used equally across all groups. About 87% of non-Hispanic white patients had a CGM, but only 75% of non-white patients did. Even more telling: simply owning a CGM didn't mean patients were using it every day. The team set out to understand why and to fix it.

Rather than make one big change, the clinic team tested multiple strategies over nearly two years (February 2022 through December 2023). They updated their electronic health record system to better track who had a CGM and who was actually using it, and to flag potential barriers when patients came to appointments. They redesigned the way prescribers ordered CGMs and how newly diagnosed patients were introduced to the technology. They also made sure patients and families got clear, accessible education about how to use their devices—and offered ongoing technical support when problems came up.

The team looked carefully at whether these changes helped different racial and ethnic groups equally, not just whether numbers improved overall.

By June 2024, CGM adoption among non-Hispanic white patients had climbed from 87% to 98%. For non-white patients, adoption jumped from 75% to 97%—a gain of 22 percentage points. Just as importantly, the gap between groups shrank to just 1 percentage point. These numbers suggest that when clinics remove barriers systematically, access becomes more equitable.

The team also tracked whether patients were actually using their CGMs regularly (defined as more than 70% of the time). Among non-Hispanic white patients, 89% met this threshold. Among non-white patients, 88% did. Again, the groups were nearly identical.

This project shows that CGM gaps—both in access and in consistent use—are not inevitable. Standardizing workflows, removing friction in the prescribing process, and intentionally supporting newly diagnosed patients and their families can push adoption rates higher. Equally important, these improvements can be made without leaving some groups behind.

The success likely came from the fact that the clinic paid close attention to individual barriers and addressed them directly, rather than assuming everyone faced the same obstacles. For families navigating a new Type 1 diabetes diagnosis, removing friction at the clinic level can mean the difference between having a powerful tool and actually using it every day.

Source: Diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic CARE. Evidence type: PubMed indexed literature. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.