I can think of three reasons
1. Not everyone is lucky enough to get a FGM or CGM on prescription and may not be able to afford to self fund
2. They do not 100% replace finger pricks. You must still finger prick at times to check readings
3. I believe the question refers to automatically transferring the reading from the meter to the Dash so you do not have to manually add it. I believe libre does not communicate with Dash. I do not know about Dexcom.
Yes, you maybe right
to 1) I made the extrapolation if you are able to fund privately an OMNIPOD (UK ~28£per pump / 3 days),
you maybe able to fund an additional 30% daily cost for an FGM (Freestyle sensor ~54£ and 14 days).
Also depends on the number of test-stripes you are. For 2-4 tests per day it may still be true for the cost.
Most of the health insurances and NHS are funding it for free (of course, if you fulfill some condition, check)
to 2) If you keep in mind that the FGM readings have a delay of 10-15mn you also will be able with the tendency given
by the FGM to extrapolate. But of course sometimes you may still need a finger-prick to check strange results.
to 3) The manual input is still much more comfortable than a finger-prick and it;s preparation, etc...and you can do it
as many times as you want.
I must say I went to a similar thought process than you. 4 years ago.
But I started at first with the FGM instead of the pump.
A) I am T1C since ~40 years and was finger-pricking ~10-12 times per day to get my blood-sugar/food under control.
But my overall HBA1C was always in the range 60 -80mmol/mol (7.5-9.5%) and higher.
4 years ago my Diabetic Team proposed me to to try a FGM (Freestyle) and I hasitate for some month
with very similar thoughts you had. At one point I said to myself just try it.
For me it was a revelation.
I thought that I knew myself and my insulin/blood-sugar behaviour after all these years with Diabetes.
But far of, in the following 4-6 month I learned so much more about the interaction of my body,
food-intake and insulin injection,
which I have never seen before with all my finger-pricks even with 10-15 times per day.
In the following months my HBA1C has improved from ~10% to ~6% and further with the time.
My low glucose events reduced drastically and were much less severe.
B) Two years ago my team proposed to switch to a pump.
Same process as before, I was checking all types of pumps and finally decided to take an
OMNIPOD as it is tubeless and more discrete and comfortable for control, especially at work.
A similar process as for the FGM, had to find out/adapt my Basal-profile and my rates, which took 1-2 month trial/error.
Result: - My diabetes results have improved dramatically,
- my diabetes work-load has reduced, as well
- my comfort, especially at work. No looking for a place to test, take out of test-strips, prepare the finger, etc..
- Even better for my injections.
All these I can do everywhere and discreetly, at work, in meetings, on the metro and without any hesitation.
Just waiting for a close-loop solution.