Self-monitoring of blood glucose reduces health care costs, has little impact on patients



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Self-monitoring of blood glucose in patients with non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes may reduce health expenditures with little or no damage for these patients, according to the results published recently in Annals of Family Medicine.

"Self-monitoring of blood sugar can be painful, inconvenient and depressing." The Society of General Internal Medicine advises against daily glucose testing, but the American Diabetes Association recommends it. Daily monitoring of blood sugar support that it improves glycemic control, distress and self-efficacy when used in a targeted manner. " Sonia A. Havele MD of Medicine, and his colleagues wrote. "Examine how far and why doctors continue to recommend [self-monitoring of blood glucose] is essential to understand how this debate permeates care."

Researchers interviewed 10 physicians of family and seven internists regarding their beliefs about self-monitoring of blood glucose in patients with non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes, which he recommends, and its use during These clinicians all came from a medical facility and provided limited demographic information. According to the researchers, four main themes emerge from the interviews:

Education for a lifestyle change: Promoters of self-monitoring of blood glucose in most patients with non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes revealed that Self-monitoring was more effective

Value-based care: All physicians, regardless of their opinion on self-monitoring blood glucose, agreed that HbA1c levels exceeded self-monitoring blood sugar when choosing medications.

Patient safety: Physicians on both sides of the self-monitoring debate about blood sugar reported that concerns related to hypoglycemia warranted the self-monitoring prescription of blood glucose.

Considerations for Specific Patient Populations: Doctors on Both Sides The debate over blood glucose revealed that some patients, such as those with cognitive or physical disabilities, were not ideally suited for self-monitoring. bloo d glucose.

"Semi-structured telephone interviews with 17 primary care physicians indicated that the majority continues to recommend routine self-monitoring of blood glucose because of its ability to promote the lifestyle changes needed to control blood glucose."

"Health care systems may view [self-monitoring of blood glucose] as an opportunity to reduce spending with little or no harm to patients," they added. – by Janel Miller

Disclosure:
The authors do not report any relevant financial information.

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