Abstract
The general aim of this thesis was to investigate the safety and efficacy of a third-party add-on technology to intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), referred to as Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Continuous Glucose Monitoring in this thesis, among children with type 1 diabetes and their families and caregivers.
The project included four parts: a systematic review and meta-analysis of previous evidence supporting CGM; a qualitative study looking into parental experience of children with type 1 diabetes using DIY Real time (RT)-CGM; a randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigating safety and efficacy of DIY RT-CGM; and a follow up study looking into the use of DIY RT-CGM after completion of the RCT.
The findings of this research showed that DIY RT- CGM not only provides invaluable insight into glycaemic control, but also empowers children and their families to make informed decisions regarding their diabetes. Moreover, DIY RT-CGM technology has demonstrated its capacity to mitigate the risks of hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, and related complications, thereby improving the overall quality of life for children with type 1 diabetes.