Facilitators and Barriers to Nursing Implementation of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19

OBJECTIVE: We describe our implementation of a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) guideline to support intravenous insulin administration and reduce point of care (POC) glucose monitoring frequency in the coronavirus disease 2019 medical intensive care unit (MICU) and evaluate nurses’ experience with implementation of CGM and hybrid POC + CGM protocol using the Promoting Action on Research in Health Services framework. METHODS: A multidisciplinary team created a guideline providing criteria for establishing initial sensor-meter agreement within each individual patient followed by hybrid use of CGM and POC. POC measures were obtained hourly during initial validation, then every 6 hours. We conducted a focus group among MICU nurses to evaluate initial implementation efforts with content areas focused on initial assessment of evidence, context, and facilitation to identify barriers and facilitators. The focus group was analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach. RESULTS: The protocol was integrated through a rapid cycle review process and ultimately disseminated nationally. The Diabetes Consult Service performed device set-up and nurses received just-in-time training. The majority of barriers centered on contextual factors, including limitations of the physical environment, complex device set-up, hospital firewalls, need for training, and CGM documentation. Nurses’ perceived device accuracy and utility were exceptionally high. Solutions were devised to maximize facilitation and sustainability for nurses while maintaining patient safety. CONCLUSION: Outpatient CGM systems can be implemented in the MICU using a hybrid protocol implementation science approach. These efforts hold tremendous potential to reduce healthcare worker exposure while maintaining glucose control during the COVID-19 pandemic.