A survey of blood glucose monitoring in patients with type 2 diabetes: are recommendations from health care professionals being followed?

Authors: Polonsky, WH., Fisher, L., Hessler, D., Edelman, SV.

Abstract

Objective: To survey the self-reported use of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), both insulin users (IUs) and non-insulin users (NIUs), in the United States and to examine: how often patients test; what SMBG instructions patients report receiving from their health care providers (HCPs); how the frequency of testing conforms with reported HCP recommendations for testing; and what is done with the results of testing. Differences between IUs and NIUs were also investigated.

Methods: A convenience sample of 886 T2DM participants at a series of one-day conferences across the United States completed a survey on current and recommended SMBG frequency, how SMBG results were used, and how HCPs reportedly talked about SMBG issues with the patient. IUs (65% of the sample) and NIUs (35%) were examined separately.

Results: IUs and NIUs reported testing significantly less frequently than was recommended (in both cases, p < 0.001), with wide variations within both groups. Many IUs (42%) and NIUs (50%) did not bring SMBG data regularly to medical visits, and 54% of IUs and 56% of NIUs did not respond regularly to out-of-range SMBG readings. HCPs were generally supportive and responsive to SMBG data. More frequent SMBG was associated with more regular HCP attention to SMBG records, for IUs (p = 0.02) and NIUs (p = 0.004).

Conclusions: Self-reported SMBG use is common in T2DM, though frequency is lower than HCP recommendations. Wide variations in actual and recommended SMBG were observed. HCP support for SMBG is reportedly common, and is associated with greater SMBG frequency. While SMBG data can be valuable, recommendations are often not followed and data often goes unused by both HCPs and patients.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22106976/

Share the Post:

BDI Monthly Events

July 9Case Consultation
BDI hosts the San Diego-wide, monthly case consultation meeting (for mental health professionals working in the field of diabetes). Contact us at [email protected] if you are in the greater San Diego area and would like further information about this program.
July 18Grownup T1D
July 18: Time for another T1D meet-up! GrownupT1Ds, a wonderful nonprofit here in southern California, is teaming up with TCOYD and BDI for a special Friday afternoon (3 pm - 6 pm) you won’t want to miss. Dr. Edelman (famed endocrinologist, TCOYD Founder and living with T1D) and Dr. Polonsky (BDI President) will be speaking, and it will be a chance to hang out with other adults with T1D. The event will be held at TCOYD, 5720 Oberlin Drive, Suite 150, San Diego, CA 92121. While the event is free, space is limited, so please RSVP https://grownupt1ds.org/.
August 8-10TCOYD ONE
August 8 – 10. Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) will be hosting the in-person ONE event, an amazing weekend experience here in San Diego for more than 500 people with type 1 diabetes and their loved ones. Dr. Polonsky is honored to be one of the presenters, and we will hope to see many of you there. There are still a few spaces left, so if you’d like to know more, please visit: https://tcoyd.org/one-2025/