Patient Satisfaction with Professional Continuous Glucose Monitoring in a Diverse Family Medicine Clinic: A Pilot Study

Primary care providers (PCPs) manage a large portion of patients with diabetes. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can give detailed information about glucose trends to improve treatment and safety. We conducted a prospective cohort pilot study to understand patient experience with the use of professional CGM in a primary care practice with a high volume of diverse, non-English speakers. Eligible patients were on an insulin regimen and either had an A1c above goal or whose PCPs had concerns for hypoglycemia. Surveys were collected prior to the intervention to assess the acceptability of the patient's self-monitoring blood glucose efforts and after the intervention to assess their experience of using the CGM. Participants at baseline had a mean A1c of 10.6% and a high amount of emotional distress as measured on the Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) scale. Post-intervention, patients reported their experience with professional CGM was positive and, overall, as acceptable of an intervention as their previous self-monitoring blood glucose practice. Professional CGM can serve as an additional, acceptable tool for PCPs to better understand how to help patients achieve diabetes blood glucose goals. Ambulatory care pharmacists are well positioned to lead this effort in clinics

Towards Maturity: Academic Governance in the Non-University Higher Education Sector

Appropriate academic governance arrangements for non-university higher education providers are critical to ensure continuing quality in the academic programs of those institutions. Over the last fifteen years there has been substantial growth in the number of institutions in this sector and the regulatory environment has also changed. In recognition of the existence of many common issues, the chairs of academic boards of the non-university higher education sector have met regularly since 2011 as the Chairs of Academic Boards Forum (CABF). At the behest of CABF and with the assistance of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training, a survey of current academic governance practices was conducted across the sector. On the basis of the outcomes of this survey, and in light of the changing regulatory environment, the CABF is developing a set of good practice guidelines on academic governance. Selected findings of the survey are presented in this paper and discussed in the context of relevant regulations/guidelines. Draft academic governance guidelines for non-university higher education providers are presented