Faculty Sponsor

Jana Stedman

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College

College of Nursing & Health Professions (CONHP)

Department/Program

Physician Assistant Program

ORCID Identifier(s)

NO

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Symposium Date

Summer 7-22-2026

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this review was to determine whether trained diabetic alert dogs (DADs) provide detection accuracy comparable to continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) for hypo- and hyperglycemic events in adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted using UpToDate and Google Scholar. Studies involving adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes that reported glucose detection accuracy for DADs or CGMs were included. Pediatric-only and non-glucose-detection studies were excluded. Because few direct head-to-head studies lasting 6 months or longer were available, shorter-duration studies were included as supporting evidence. Outcomes included sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, hypoglycemia frequency, and HbA1c reduction.

Results: CGMs demonstrated higher accuracy, with 92–95% of glucose readings matching laboratory reference values. CGM use was also associated with fewer hypoglycemic events and an approximately 0.5–0.6% reduction in HbA1c. In contrast, DAD detection accuracy varied significantly across studies, with objective masked CGM comparisons reporting lower accuracy than owner-reported studies (22–38% vs. 50–80%).

Conclusion: Current evidence supports CGMs as the most accurate and reliable glucose monitoring method. Although DADs may provide psychosocial benefits and support, their variable accuracy does not support their use as a stand-alone tool or replacement for CGMs. Some individual dogs demonstrated accuracy comparable to CGMs, but findings were inconsistent across studies and dogs. Additional standardized, objective comparative studies using consistent training protocols are needed to better define the role of DADs.

Keywords: diabetes mellitus; diabetic alert dogs; continuous glucose monitoring; hypoglycemia; hyperglycemia; glucose monitoring; accuracy

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Dianne Dollison is a Physician Assistant graduate student at Valparaiso University. Her interest in this topic developed after observing the growing social media presence of diabetic alert dogs and their positive impact on adults, children, and families living with diabetes. She sought to evaluate the evidence supporting their glucose detection capabilities and explore whether further research could improve accessibility and support future insurance coverage, not only to improve their physical diabetic care but also the psychosocial aspects as well. She is committed to evidence-based, patient-centered care.

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