The Potential Impact of the FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System on Mental Well-Being and Treatment Satisfaction in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes: A Prospective Study

INTRODUCTION: This study assessed the treatment satisfaction and sense of well-being attained when patients with type 1 diabetes use the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system (FSL; Abbott Diabetes Care, Inc., Alameda, CA, USA). METHODS: A 12-week prospective study was conducted from January 2018 to May 2018 at the Diabetes Treatment Center, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Study participants (aged 14–21 years) were treated for type 1 diabetes with an insulin pump (IP) (n = 10) or multiple dose injections (MDI) (n = 23), and used the conventional finger-pricking method for glucose self-testing. At the baseline visit, FSL sensors were placed on each participant by a trained diabetes educator. At baseline and 12 weeks, a trained interviewer administered the Arabic version of the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ) and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5) (1998 version) questionnaire. RESULTS: As compared with the baseline, positive differences were found after 12 weeks of FSL use for all of the items in the DTSQ (p < 0.001) and the WHO-5 questionnaire (p < 0.001). The overall score for the DTSQ improved from a mean (SD) of 14.4 ± 6.5 at baseline to 32.1 ± 1.8 at 12 weeks. For the WHO-5 questionnaire, the overall well-being percentage score improved from 45.1% at baseline to 93.6% at 12 weeks (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Use of the FSL along with IP or MDI led to higher treatment satisfaction and a greater sense of mental well-being compared with the baseline conventional finger-pricking method. FUNDING: No funding or sponsorship was received for this study. The article processing charges were funded by Abbott Diabetes Care.