Working with diabetes patients reveals inequalities embedded in medical devices

Posted on Tuesday 14 April 2026

The ETL funded "Sensors for Healthcare" project has undertaken a series of focus group discussions with Type 1 diabetes patients to better understand and help to address inequities and unintended outcomes associated with their experience of using Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices. 

Adopting a socio-technical approach to the deployment and use of medical devices, this work contributes towards a more nuanced appreciation of the multiple drivers (both technical and social contexts) that underpin different patient outcomes, generating key insights for technology designers seeking to develop more equitable technologies. For example, initial findings have revealed the role emotions and bodily experiences play in shaping patient inequities, suggesting the importance of embedding understanding of these aspects of the socio-technical context in future equitable technology design and development.