This is the title of a new paper published yesterday Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology From my FTI colleague Mary Steele-Edjohn, along with Martha E. Shepherd, John Harris-Shapiro, David Hines, Abraham Lee, and Yesha Poon. The gist is below.
background:
This study evaluated the impact of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) on health outcomes and workplace absenteeism in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who are not using insulin.
Methods:
This was a pre-post observational study using real-world data from a large employer health plan. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), body mass index (BMI), and sick days were measured 360 days before (baseline period) and 360 days after (follow-up period) CGM initiation. Persistence was defined as refilling the CGM supply at least once every 90 days.
Result:
Overall, 71 patients were included (mean age, 52.3 years; 56.3% female); 33 (46.5%) were firm on CGM. Overall, the mean HbA1c level decreased from 7.6% to 7.1% after the introduction of CGM (mean reduction, 0.52%; n = 55; P= .042), while mean BMI decreased by 0.95 kg/m (n = 34; P= .075). Compared with the non-persistent group, persistent patients achieved larger mean reductions in HbA1c levels (-0.89% vs -0.17%; mean difference, 0.72%; P= .152) and BMI (−2.26 kg/m² vs. +0.37 kg/m²; mean difference, 2.62 kg/m²).2; P= .009). Absenteeism decreased in the persistent group but increased in the non-persistent group (−8.41 versus +6.95 mean sick days; mean difference, 15.36 days, P= .002).
conclusion:
In this population, CGM was associated with improvements in clinical outcomes and absenteeism, although the economic implications require further evaluation. There was a statistically significant improvement in BMI and absenteeism in persistent patients compared to the non-persistent group. Employers may benefit from broader coverage of CGM in this population.
You can read the full paper Here.
