Flash Continuous Glucose Monitoring Reduces Costs, Improves Adherence

In accordance with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommendations, researchers recently found that flash continuous glucose monitoring improved adherence and reduced acquisition costs when compared with self-monitoring of blood glucose for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who use multiple dose injection therapy. 

The ADA Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes (2017) recommend between 6 to 10 glucose tests per day for patients with diabetes using multiple dose injection therapy. To better understand how a flash continuous glucose monitoring system impacts costs and adherence for patients with diabetes, researcher Richard Hellmund, MS, global health economist of Abbott Diabetes Care, examined two prior studies. These studies examined clinical benefits of flash continuous glucose monitoring as a replacement for routine self-monitoring of blood glucose for patients with diabetes using multiple dose injection therapy. Mr Hellmund observed the impact flash continuous glucose monitoring had on hypoglycemia and HbA^1C levels. Further, a cost calculation based on ADA recommendations was presented comparing the acquisition cost of flash continuous glucose monitoring with routine self-monitoring of blood glucose.

The monthly cost for patients performing 10 self-monitoring of blood glucose session per day is $426, and for those performing it six times a day costs $255.60. According to the study findings, for patients testing 6 times per day, flash continuous glucose monitoring saves roughly $120 per person per month compared with self-monitoring, and over $290 per person per month is saved for patients testing 10 times per day. Notably, for patients testing more than 3 times per day, flash continuous glucose monitoring had a lower acquisition cost than self-monitoring.

“For people with T1DM or T2DM who use [multiple dose injection] therapy, flash [continuous glucose monitoring] has demonstrated improved adherence to the ADA recommendation as well as reduced acquisition cost when compared with routine [self-monitoring of blood glucose],” Mr Hellmund concluded. 

This research was presented at the 2018 ADA 78th Scientific Sessions.

—Julie Gould