Youth and Parent Satisfaction With Clinical Use of the GlucoWatch G2 Biographer in the Management of Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

OBJECTIVE—A continuous glucose monitor satisfaction scale (CGM-SAT) was evaluated during a 6-month randomized controlled trial of the GlucoWatch G2 Biographer (GW2B) in youths with type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—At the end of the 6-month trial, 97 parents and 66 older children who had been randomized to the GW2B group completed the CGM-SAT, which assesses satisfaction on 37 items using a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive analysis, calculation of several reliability estimates, and assessment of concurrent validity were performed.

RESULTS—The CGM-SAT demonstrated high internal reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.95 for parents and 0.94 for youths aged ≥11 years), split-half reliability (ρ = 0.91 for parents and 0.93 for youths), and parent-adolescent agreement (ρ = 0.68, P < 0.001). Convergent validity was supported by marginally significant associations with treatment adherence and frequency of GW2B use. CGM-SAT scores did not correlate significantly with changes in treatment adherence, quality of life, or diabetes-related anxiety from baseline to 6 months. Mean scores on CGM-SAT items indicated that 81% of parental responses and 73% of youths’ responses were less favorable than “neutral.” Descriptive analysis indicated the GW2B requires substantial improvement before it can achieve widespread clinical utility and acceptance.

CONCLUSIONS—The results supported the psychometric properties of the CGM-SAT. The CGM-SAT warrants further research use and cross-validation with other continuous glucose monitors. This study provides a benchmark for comparison with new glucose sensors.