ABCD FreeStyle Libre Audit

ABCD nationwide FSL audit our first device audit

This nationwide audit, our first of a device, launched in November 2017. An online tool was launched in August 2018. Following deadlines for data analysis in December 2018 and May 2019, presentations from the audit were made at Diabetes UK APC in Liverpool in March 2019 and ADA 79th scientific sessions in San Francisco in June. These early findings were very positive and were summarised by Dr Chris Walton in an ABCD press release on 11 June, 2019. In June 2020 the first full paper from the audit was published in Diabetes Care and it is free to download. Further analysis of this data is ongoing. It is important to stress that the audit continues and it is particularly important that follow up data is submitted as your patients return to see you in the months ahead.

About the ABCD nationwide FSL audit

With the launch of the FSL audit, ABCD is now auditing the use of FSL in adults and paediatric patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. On the right you will find examples of findings from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) undertaken with FSL. As with the other ABCD audits ( for example exenatide, liraglutide, dapagliflozin), it may be that outcomes for patients using FSL in real clinical practice will be different from those in the clinical trials. It is the aim of this audit to find this out. As with other audits, this audit will again be hosted on HSCN with the latest version of NHSnet. Access the on-line tool for the audit does require the user to be on HSCN – ie in an NHS hospital, GP surgery etc. The on-line tool became available for general use on August 28, 2018. Paper forms are also available from the links below to assist with data collection prior to entry into the on-line tool. The audit has a number of objectives. During 2019 the online audit tool has been edited and improved in the light of experience and data collection forms have been modified to the ones downloadable from this page.

Web-based audit tool on HSCN

The audit tool for the FSL audit is similar to that being used for the other ABCD audits. The tool is easy to use. Being on HSCN it has optimum security for patient identifiable data with regard to your own patients, but anonymises the data when it is utilised in the national audit. There are some special features with regard to the data export both for your own local analysis and for the nationwide analysis. The export now allows you to choose which data to download for analysis as well as providing all data. It also allows you to choose to download the data aggregated to different time points. The tool has the facility to detect data from the same patient entered in two sites (eg hospital and primary care) and to merge the data when exported - see centres and sites below.

Structure of the audit – centres and sites

For this audit the concept of centres and sites is utilised in the same way as in the other ABCD audits. Typically, a centre might be an NHS Trust. Sites might be hospitals associated with that Trust, and/or health centres or GP surgeries in the local vicinity. If set up in this structure, designated leaders of the local audit would be given access to download the anonymised data of all the patients associated with the centre for more powerful local analysis of data involving higher numbers. Findings so made through such local analysis could be put forward for further testing on the full national dataset.

Analyse your own data

The tool will allow you to analyse the data of your own patients for your own local interest; at the same time the data will automatically be available for national analysis of anonymised data. Some videos showing ways of analysing your own data are available through the ABCD YouTube channel and some useful links to the videos can be found here.

Collect data on-line or via paper forms

The on-line audit tool will be so easy to use that live data entry in clinic is a real option to be considered. Otherwise to facilitate data collection during clinics there are two paper forms which exactly match the data that can be entered into the audit tool. You can download and print these forms locally or order pre-printed data entry forms.

Data from children

This may also be added thanks to a collaboration between ABCD, the Association of Children's Diabetes Clinicians (ACDC) and the Children and Young People’s Diabetes Network.