Reducing Hospitalizations for People with Diabetes Through Regular Data Reviews

What if you could prevent your patients from ending up in the emergency room or being hospitalized due to diabetes complications? For people with diabetes, acute care is sometimes needed because of issues like severe hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, or other related comorbidities.

In fact, research shows that people with diabetes face up to a ninefold increased risk of hospitalization compared to those without the condition.¹ Not only are they admitted more frequently, but their hospital stays also tend to be longer — driving up costs for both patients and the healthcare system and reducing productivity.²

Beyond the financial burden, hospitalizations can mean missed workdays, disrupted routines, and added stress for patients and providers alike. It can often feel like you’re constantly reacting instead of proactively managing the condition.

The good news? Many diabetes-related ER visits and hospital stays are preventable. In this post, we’ll explore how regular reviews of CGM and insulin pump data — combined with timely clinical interventions — can help you keep your patients healthier and out of the hospital.

Top Reasons for Hospitalization and ER Visits in Diabetes 

Exploring why people with diabetes require higher level care from the hospital or ER setting is an important first step in designing interventions to prevent these episodes. Some of the most common medical issues leading to hospitalization or ER visits include:³ 

1. Infections (such as urinary tract or skin infections)

2. Major cardiovascular complications (like heart attack or stroke)

3. Acute Metabolic Complications (hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, and hypoglycemia

Age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status also play a role increasing the risk of hospitalization. Men, non-Hispanic Black patients, and people from lower income areas  experience higher rates of diabetes-related hospital admissions.4 

While the CDC reports that the total number of hospital discharges reported with diabetes for major cardiovascular disease is significantly higher than those involving hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia,5 it should be noted that many of these abnormal fluctuations in blood glucose can be detected before it requires a hospital visit.

In many cases, these acute events don’t happen in isolation — they’re often preceded by subtle but detectable changes in glucose management. For example, a gradual increase in average glucose levels, rising glucose variability, or an uptick in time spent in hypo- or hyperglycemia can serve as early warning signs. Without routine data reviews, these warning signs may go unnoticed until the patient ends up in urgent care or the hospital.

How Regular Data Monitoring Helps Reduce Hospitalizations

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) enables around-the-clock visibility into glucose trends, leading to improved blood sugar management and a reduced risk of complications and hospitalizations.⁶ But optimal diabetes care doesn’t stop at prescribing a CGM — it requires ongoing data review and timely clinical intervention.

Just as CGM offers critical insight into glucose trends, insulin pump data provides equally valuable information that can help identify early signs of trouble. Missed boluses, recurring use of correction doses, wide glucose variability, and inappropriate basal rates — especially overnight — can all point to an increased risk of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia that may lead to ER visits or hospitalizations. 

For example, consistently high insulin-on-board (IOB) levels or frequent boluses late at night might signal that a patient is overtreating highs, putting them at risk for dangerous lows while sleeping.

Reviewing both CGM and pump data on a regular cadence allows for a more complete picture of how a patient is managing — and where interventions are needed. Without these regular insights, providers may miss patterns that paper logs or quarterly visits simply can't capture.

Consistent data review allows providers to spot trends before they become dangerous. It eliminates guesswork in insulin dosing and empowers proactive changes to treatment plans without waiting for the next in-person appointment. That’s why implementing more frequent CGM and pump data reviews is a powerful tool to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and ER visits, especially for high-risk patients.⁷

At SweetSpot, our team has shown that incorporating at least six touchpoints per year can lead to a ~10% improvement in time in range (TIR) and a 1% reduction in HbA1c. While in-clinic visits this often may not be feasible, remote monitoring from a virtual care team makes this level of care both scalable and efficient. Our CDCES team proactively reviews CGM and pump data, connects with patients remotely to identify patterns, and works in partnership with your practice to adjust treatment.

Want to bring this level of support to your patients? Let’s keep your patients out of the hospital — and on track. SweetSpot makes proactive CGM and insulin pump monitoring simple, scalable, and stress-free for your team. Reach out today to get started at info@sweetspot.health.

References:

1. Harding JL, Uppal TS, Tomic D, Ali MK, Magliano DJ. 1315-P: Examining excess hospitalizations in people with vs. without diabetes—A national U.S. study. Diabetes. 2023;72(Suppl 1):1315–P. doi:10.2337/db23-1315-P

2. American Diabetes Association. The Costs of Hospitalization for People with Diabetes. Accessed April 8, 2025. https://diabetes.org/tools-resources/managing-diabetes-costs/costs-hospitalization-people-diabetes

3. Rubens M, Ramamoorthy V, Saxena A, McGranaghan P, McCormack-Granja E. Recent Trends in Diabetes-Associated Hospitalizations in the United States. J Clin Med. 2022;11(22):6636. Published 2022 Nov 9. doi:10.3390/jcm11226636

4. Hanover L. What are the most common reasons for hospital admissions for patients with diabetes? Am J Manag Care. Published May 8, 2021. Accessed April 8, 2025. https://www.ajmc.com/view/what-are-the-most-common-reasons-for-hospital-admissions-for-patients-with-diabetes-

5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Proportions and Trends of Adult Hospitalizations with Diabetes—United States, 2000–2018. Published August 2024. Accessed April 8, 2025. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/159595

6. Nathanson D, Eeg-Olofsson K, Spelman T, et al. Intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring compared with blood glucose monitoring is associated with lower HbA1c and a reduced risk of hospitalisation for diabetes-related complications in adults with type 2 diabetes on insulin therapies. Diabetologia. 2025;68(1):41-51. doi:10.1007/s00125-024-06289-z

7. McCoy RG, Lipska KJ, Van Houten HK, Shah ND. Association of Cumulative Multimorbidity, Glycemic Control, and Medication Use With Hypoglycemia-Related Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations Among Adults With Diabetes. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(1):e1919099. Published 2020 Jan 3. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.19099

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SweetSpot partners with endocrinology practices to provide virtual CGM monitoring and enhanced patient care.

SweetSpot combines a centralized software platform for managing diabetes device data, such as data from CGMs and insulin pumps, with wrap-around clinical support services. SweetSpot’s virtual team of Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (CDCES) perform monthly CGM data reviews and coordinate with providers and patients to facilitate treatment plan changes. By actively managing and remotely reviewing CGM data between patient visits, we ensure patients receive timely treatment adjustments to improve glycemic control and patient outcomes.

Additionally, SweetSpot’s automated capture of reimbursable care events optimizes CPT code utilization, unlocking new revenue streams for practices and making our partnerships both clinically effective and financially profitable.