New research emerging this month sheds light on the need for wider use of continuous glucose monitors (CGM).
The study, conducted by chronic care management company CCS, analyzed data from nearly 940,000 patients and found that CGM can reduce medical costs by about 20% while also improving outcomes for patients with insulin-dependent diabetes.
The cost savings come from reduced acute care utilization, primarily hospitalizations and emergency room visits. Overall, the researchers found that CGM reduced acute care utilization by 23% over one year.
The study also found that CGM users had better clinical outcomes, including higher odds of achieving key glycemic control goals and fewer hospitalizations for diabetic ketoacidosis and other serious complications.
Despite these benefits and widespread insurance coverage, approximately 80% of eligible insulin-treated patients still do not use CGM technology.
“It is surprising that there is such a large gap in adoption among a population where the benefits of CGM are well established,” said Coni Dennis, chief clinical officer at CCS.
Over the past decade, she said, research has consistently shown that continuous glucose monitoring can reduce costs and make patients healthier, but real-world adoption lags far behind clinical guidelines and the situation is likely to worsen without intervention.
Denis said closing the gap will require three things working together: equitable access to CGM technology, better provider support to identify eligible patients and get them to CGM earlier, and ongoing guidance to help patients stay engaged with the device.
In her view, health care providers should “standardize CGM as standard of care, not advanced care.”
She noted that many patients are initially overwhelmed by CGM and need practical support to use the device, interpret readings, manage alarms and adjust diet, exercise and medications accordingly.
Ultimately, Dennis said, CGM reduces total cost of care by creating real-time blood sugar feedback that improves patients' blood sugar stability and prevents acute events that lead to hospitalization. She believes that expanding access to CGMs and the support needed to use them effectively could play an important role in helping people with diabetes avoid long-term complications such as cardiovascular disease, kidney failure and amputations.
Photo credit: Abbott
