An Integrative Literature Review of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Hospital Settings

Introduction: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has primarily been used for diabetes management in the outpatient or home settings. However, recent research is investigating CGM’s safety, accuracy, feasibility, and barriers to its implementation in the hospital setting. Methodology: This integrative review exhausted three databases, PubMed, CINAHL, and PyscInfo, to investigate current literature about CGM device use in adult, hospitalized populations. Medical Subject Headings and search terms used for this investigation included “Continuous Glucose Monitoring”, “Point of Care Testing”, and “Hospital”. The studies examined were stored and organized through Schiwheel. Data extraction from screened articles occurred using Covidence which then organized all information into a PRSIMA. Results: A total of 19 articles were included in this integrative review. These articles investigated the safety and accuracy of CGM device use in the hospital setting, as well as feasibility and barriers to CGM implementation in the hospital such as cost and lack of CGM knowledge. Additionally, some articles discussed intensive care unit (ICU) nurses’ experiences and perspectives about using CGM. However, there was a notable gap in the literature using a qualitative approach to explore non-ICU nurses’ perspectives. Conclusion: Our integrative review found literature supporting the safety and accuracy of CGM in the hospital setting. Additionally, findings highlight the need for further research on CGM implementation in the hospital setting.