Diabetes technology confidence low among community and primary care staff

Tailored training on diabetes technology is needed to improve diabetes care across community and primary care settings, latest research has revealed.

The recommendation comes from a new study published by the DSN Forum UK, which found that many general practice nurses reported low confidence in using technologies such as continuous glucose monitoring and hybrid closed-loop systems, alongside limited access to formal training.

Meanwhile, community diabetes specialist nurses showed moderate to high confidence with continuous glucose monitoring and variable confidence with hybrid closed-loop systems.

According to the DSN Forum UK, system-wide support and commissioning reform are also needed to ensure equitable technology-enabled diabetes care across community and primary care settings.

Since the publication of the National Institute for Care and Health Excellence's TA943 guidance, the uptake of continuous glucose monitoring and hybrid closed-loop systems in type 1 diabetes care is expanding rapidly.

Community diabetes specialist nurses and general practice nurses are both integral to implementing these technologies outside of hospital settings.

The aim of this study was to explore and understand the confidence levels, training and support available to community diabetes specialist nurses and general practice nurses in relation to continuous glucose monitoring and hybrid closed loop systems technologies.

To do this, a national survey was distributed to UK nurses and midwives in May 2025. Confidence was measured across five continuous glucose monitoring and hybrid closed-loop systems domains, with qualitative feedback analysed thematically.

Beth Kelly, Director of the DSN Forum UK, said: “The evaluation highlights notable differences in exposure, confidence and access to training.

“Community specialists generally report moderate to high confidence, supported by structured learning routes, whereas general practice nurses describe limited preparation, infrequent contact with these devices and uncertainty about where their responsibilities begin and end.

“These findings appear consistently across the survey data and qualitative responses, including the contrasts in training pathways and system support described in the early sections of the article.”

To access the study, click here.