Introduction Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are increasingly central to diabetes care. In pharmacy and graduate medical education, CGM wear experiences improve empathy and counseling confidence; evidence in undergraduate medical education is lacking. Objective This study evaluated the impact of a CGM wear experience for second-year medical students during orientation for a longitudinal primary care clerkship. Methods The orientation, facilitated by clinical pharmacists, included a didactic lecture and skills laboratory on insulin dosing, administration, and CGM fundamentals. Students applied a CGM sensor to wear for up to 10 days. Pre- and post-intervention surveys assessed demographics, CGM-related confidence, empathy toward people with CGMs, and practice-changing intent. Surveys were administered one week before and 12 days after the lab and results were analyzed using student t-tests. Results Of 50 enrolled students, 37 completed the pre-survey and 19 completed the post-survey. Baseline demographics demonstrated limited prior CGM experience (13.5%). Empathy scores were high at baseline, with higher ratings for expected healthcare professional empathy compared to self-reported empathy (6.25 vs. 4.10, p 6.3/7). Conclusion A CGM wear experience for undergraduate medical students improved empathy for patients wearing CGMs, increased confidence in CGM-use and counseling, and led to a high number of participants planning to incorporate CGMs into their practice. Findings will inform strategies for early integration of wearable diabetes technology into medical curricula.
Lin et al. (Tue,) studied this question.