Practical Tips to Help Patients Optimize Glucose Monitoring

Strategies to Improve Outcomes

Glucose monitoring is foundational to diabetes self-management, but its effectiveness depends on how well patients understand and apply monitoring principles. Whether patients are using blood glucose meters (BGMs) or continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems, the following updated, evidence-based tips can help healthcare providers educate and empower their patients to make the most of their monitoring tools. These strategies aim to improve accuracy, comfort, consistency, and clinical outcomes.

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Establish Clear, Personalized Monitoring Goals

Monitoring without meaningful goals can lead to confusion or disengagement. Work with patients to establish realistic, actionable objectives that guide both how and when they monitor. These goals should extend beyond glucose targets to include frequency, timing (e.g., pre-meal, bedtime), and appropriate responses to readings.

Encourage patients to tie glucose monitoring to their everyday decisions, such as insulin dosing, meal planning, and physical activity. For patients using CGMs, this may include goals related to Time in Range (TIR), Time Below Range (TBR), and Time Above Range (TAR). The use of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals can enhance accountability and clarity.

Clinical Note: For non-pregnant CGM users, recommended targets include:

• More than 70% of time in the 70–180 mg/dL range
• Less than 25% of the time above 180 mg/dl
• Less than 5% of the time above 250 mg/dl
• Less than 4% of time below 70 mg/dL
• Less than 1% of time below 54 mg/dL
  

Encourage Contextual Data Collection

A glucose number without context provides limited insight. Patients benefit greatly from tracking the behaviors and circumstances that influence their glucose levels. These include:

• Carbohydrate intake (type and quantity)
• Timing and dosing of insulin or other diabetes medications
• Physical activity, including both structured exercise and daily movement
• Stress levels and sleep quality
• Illness or infection

Many glucose monitoring devices offer integrations with mobile apps or desktop platforms that make it easy to log these factors automatically or manually. For those less inclined to use technology, pen-and-paper tracking remains a valid and useful method.

Tip for HCPs: Ask patients to bring contextualized logs or digital summaries to appointments. Tools such as LibreView, Dexcom Clarity, Enhance-d Dashboard, LilyLink, Omnipod Display, Glooko, SweetSpot, and Tidepool can facilitate collaborative reviews.

Use Data to Identify Patterns, Not Just Isolated Readings

Patients often benefit from reviewing their glucose data at regular intervals—preferably weekly or biweekly. Encourage them to segment data by time of day, such as pre-meal, post-meal, overnight, or around exercise, to uncover trends and patterns.

Pattern management, especially with CGM users, can help differentiate between persistent issues and one-off fluctuations. During office visits, review AGP (Ambulatory Glucose Profile) reports or similar visual summaries with patients to identify actionable trends. Limit feedback to one or two manageable changes per visit.

Tip for HCPs: Make use of trend arrows and glucose variability data when helping patients interpret their CGM results.

Minimize the Burden of Monitoring

Monitoring adherence improves when it is easy, comfortable, and fits seamlessly into a patient’s routine. The following strategies can improve the patient experience:

• Recommend meters with minimal sample size requirements (≤0.4 µL) and fast result times (≤5 seconds)
• Use ultra-thin lancets (33-gauge or higher) and encourage regular replacement to minimize pain
• Encourage use of adjustable-depth lancing devices and finger-pricking on the sides, not tips, of fingers
• Rotate testing sites across fingers to reduce soreness and use the side of the finger not the fingertip to test
• For CGM users, offer strategies to manage skin irritation, adhesion, and site rotation

Some patients benefit from having more than one meter—e.g., one at work, one at home—to reduce inconvenience. For CGM users, teach proper sensor placement, the importance of warm-up times, and what to do in the case of signal loss or adhesion failure.

Reinforce Habits That Ensure Accuracy

Accurate readings are essential to good diabetes management. Whether using a BGM or CGM, basic practices can dramatically improve reliability:

For Blood Glucose Monitoring:

• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before testing; dry completely
• Avoid using alternate sites unless the meter is designed for use of alternate sites
• Avoid using alcohol wipes immediately before testing, as they can dry the skin and skew readings
• Apply a sufficient blood drop to fill the test strip; avoid “milking” the finger excessively
• Ensure proper meter coding (if applicable) and never use expired or improperly stored test strips

For CGM Monitoring:

• Apply sensors to clean, dry skin, avoiding recently moisturized areas
• Use adhesive reinforcements or overlays as needed to maintain sensor placement
• Understand the impact of physiological “lag time” between interstitial and blood glucose, especially during rapid glucose changes. 

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Finally, Remind Patients of When It's Time to Call a HCP

Even well-informed patients can face situations that require professional guidance. Encourage patients to reach out when they notice patterns or problems that fall outside their usual experience. Early intervention can prevent complications and support confidence in self-management.

Teach patients to contact their healthcare team if they experience any of the following:

• Repeated low or high glucose levels without an identifiable cause

• Frequent readings outside of their target range, despite adherence to their plan

• Significant changes in their CGM time in range (e.g., a sudden drop of more than 15–20%)

• Persistent CGM sensor or transmitter issues, including skin irritation or repeated signal loss

• Signs of hypoglycemia unawareness (i.e., low glucose levels without symptoms)

• New medications, illness, or major changes in routine (e.g., travel, surgery, or diet)

Tip for HCPs: Let patients know it’s better to check in early than to wait too long. Consider offering a clear communication plan for how and when to contact your office or the office of a specialist or other provider (e.g., phone, patient portal, secure message) and what types of data to share when they do.

For more information on this topic, explore our entire glucose monitoring section, check danatech's free CGM device trainings or compare all CGM options and Find and Compare Blood Glucose Monitors.