Inpatient glucose management has long been a weak spot in hospital care, but continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) could be the fix. A trial at The Ohio State University (OSU) Wexner Medical Center enrolled 100 ICU patients using the Dexcom G6 CGM and compared their outcomes to historical controls. The results were clear: CGM users spent more time in healthy glucose ranges and far less time in dangerous hyperglycemic territory — all while saving nursing time and cutting costs.

Nurses were also strong supporters of the technology. In a separate study of 70 nurses conducted with Emory University, 92% said CGM reduced their workload, and 97% wanted to keep using it. The technology also gave nurses an average 10-minute heads-up before urgent low glucose events, allowing for faster intervention.

OSU is now on track to implement CGM as standard of care in its ICU by November — making it the first U.S. health system to do so off-label, after regulatory changes removed prior emergency use authorization coverage.

By the Numbers:

• 76% vs. 64% — time in glucose range (70–180 mg/dL) for CGM users vs. controls
• 35 minutes of nursing time saved per 4-hour observation period with CGM vs. point-of-care testing
• Up to $26.14 saved per patient-day with nonadjunctive CGM use vs. standard point-of-care testing

Why it matters: If CGM can be scaled across hospital ICUs, it could meaningfully improve glycemic outcomes, reduce nurse burden, and lower costs — a rare trifecta in healthcare innovation.