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Defeat Diabetes Foundation

Defeat Diabetes
Foundation
150 153rd Ave,
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Madeira Beach, FL 33708

Using a Blood Glucose Monitoring Manual to Improve Control

Posted: Monday, April 24, 2006

"Recognizing the link between BG monitoring and improved glycemic control, [we] designed an educational booklet, the Blood Sugar Monitoring Owner's Manual (BGMOM), with the goal of improving the physical and emotional well-being of patients with diabetes by increasing adherence to BG monitoring.

Use of a blood glucose (BG) monitoring manual improves glycemic control, according to the results of a randomized study.

"Frequent blood glucose (BG) monitoring is a critical component of diabetes management, yet many barriers exist to consistent monitoring," write C. Moreland, MD, from the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, Mass, and colleagues. ."

Of the 199 participants who were recruited from a multidisciplinary diabetes clinic and who had high-risk diabetes (hemoglobin A1C, >/= 8.0%), 35% had type 1 diabetes mellitus. These 199 participants were randomized to 1 of 3 groups: BGMOM intervention (BGM+), attention control (BG meter only [MT]), or standard care. The BGM+ and MT groups received BG meters and meter education, and the BGM+ group also received BGMOM booklets. During 6 months of follow-up, the investigators determined BG monitoring frequency and hemoglobin A1C measurement.

Monitoring frequency increased significantly in the BGM+ group, from 1.9 ± 1.3 to 2.8 ± 1.5 times daily (P < .001). In the MT group, monitoring frequency increased only slightly, from 1.7 ± 1.3 to 2.0 ± 1.3 times daily. The BGM+ group had the greatest improvement in hemoglobin A1C level (BGM+, -0.13 ± 1.28; MT, -0.04 ± 1.31; standard care, 0.04 ± 1.10) and the highest percentage of those who improved glycemic control (61% vs 44% in the other groups; P = .05). Compared with the other groups, the BGM+ group displayed the most knowledge about the definition of hemoglobin A1C (P = .04) and reported the least amount of negative effect concerning out-of-range BG monitoring results (P = .03).

"As an adjunct to standard diabetes education and support, a manual such as the BGMOM can help optimize BG monitoring and glycemic control," the authors write. "A simple-to-use, easily distributable tool like the BGMOM can positively affect patients' diabetes self-management without straining personnel or financial resources. The incorporation of a manual, such as the BGMOM, as an adjunct to regular health care visits may enhance diabetes self-care and improve health outcomes while imposing minimal requirements of time, expense, and diabetes-specific expertise on health care profession.

Source: Diabetes In Control: Arch Intern Med. March 27, 2006;166:689-695