If you’re a seafarer with insulin-treated diabetes, you’ll be familiar with the restrictions on your medical certificate that mean you’re not permitted to work alone or at heights. You might also have a geographical restriction, unless you work on a vessel with a ship's doctor and your diabetes is well controlled.
These restrictions may not represent your future, though. Modern glucose-monitoring technologies have improved a person's ability to control their blood sugar, with a simple device now able to monitor glucose levels continuously and warn if levels become dangerously high or low.
This new technology may mean that the medical standards for seafarer fitness for insulin-treated diabetic seafarers can be reviewed, but high-quality data is still needed on how effective the devices are in a shipboard setting.
Join the study
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is supporting a year-long study to assess the effectiveness of these devices, and we need participants. The study is led by the University of Surrey and funded by The Seafarers’ Charity and the Fishermen’s Mission.
We’re looking for insulin-dependent seafarers working at sea with a valid ENG1 or ML5 certificate. You’ll need to wear a continuous blood glucose monitoring device, supplied for the trial, for 12 months, both onboard and at home, and you’ll record data in a phone app.
You’ll be required to have four virtual meetings with the organisers during the trial period, and you’ll be provided with CGM Dexcom G7® for this observational trial, if you do not already use one.
Being involved in the study will have no effect on your medical certificate, either now or in the future, and the MCA will not have access to results in real time. Any information reviewed by the MCA is anonymous and you’re able to withdraw from the study at any time without giving a reason.
To find out more and sign up for the study, please go to the Glucose Watch study website. If you have further questions, please contact the study organiser, Dr Fariba Shojaee-Moradie at the University of Surrey: f.shojaee-moradie@surrey.ac.uk
Thank you for your consideration – you could be making a big difference to many people's seafaring careers.
Dr Sue Stannard
Chief Medical Adviser
Maritime & Coastguard Agency
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