New research emerged this month that sheds light on the need for broader use of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).
The study, conducted by CCS, a chronic care management company, analyzed data from nearly 940,000 patients and found that CGMs can reduce healthcare costs by about 20% while improving outcomes for patients with diabetes who are insulin-dependent.
Cost savings come from lower rates of intensive care use, primarily hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Overall, the researchers found that CGMs led to a 23% reduction in intensive care utilization in 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 extensive insurance coverage, approximately 80% of eligible patients treated with insulin still do not use CGM technology.
“It’s surprising – just the magnitude of the gap in adoption in a population where the benefit of CGM is well established,” said Coni Dennis, clinical director at CCS.
Over the past decade, research has consistently shown that CGMs reduce costs and make patients healthier, but real-world adoption lags far behind clinical guidelines and will likely get worse without intervention, he said.
According to Dennis, closing that gap requires three things working together: equitable access to CGM technology, better support from providers to identify eligible patients and set them up with CGMs sooner, and ongoing training to help patients stay engaged with the device.
In his opinion, providers should “normalize CGM as a standard of care, not advanced care.”
He noted that many patients feel overwhelmed by CGMs from the start and need practical support in using the device, interpreting readings, managing alarms and adjusting their diet, exercise and medications accordingly.
Ultimately, Dennis said CGMs reduce the total cost of care by creating real-time glucose feedback that improves patients’ glycemic stability and prevents acute events that lead to hospitalizations. He argued that expanding access to CGMs (and the support needed to use them effectively) could play an important role in helping patients with diabetes avoid long-term complications such as cardiovascular disease, kidney failure and amputations.
Photo credit: Abbott.