New research emerged this month shining light on the need for wider use of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).
The study — which was conducted by CCS, a chronic care management company — analyzed data from nearly 940,000 patients and found that CGMs can cut healthcare costs by about 20% while also improving outcomes for diabetes patients who are insulin-dependent.
The cost savings come from lower rates of acute care use, mainly hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Overall, the researchers discovered that CGMs led to a 23% reduction in acute care utilization over one year.
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The study also found that CGM users had better clinical outcomes, including higher odds of achieving key glycemic control targets and fewer hospitalizations for diabetic ketoacidosis and other serious complications.
Despite these benefits and broad insurance coverage, roughly 80% of eligible insulin-treated patients still are not using CGM technology.
“It’s surprising — just the magnitude of the adoption gap in a population where CGM benefit is well-established,” stated Coni Dennis, CCS’ chief clinical officer.
Over the past decade, research has consistently shown that CGMs bring costs down and make patients healthier, but real-world adoption is lagging far behind clinical guidelines and will likely worsen without intervention, she said.
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According to Dennis, closing that gap requires three things working together: equitable access to CGM technology, better provider support to identify eligible patients and get them set up with CGMs earlier, and ongoing coaching to help patients stay engaged with the device.
In her view, providers should be “normalizing CGM as a standard of care, not advanced care.”
She noted that many patients are overwhelmed by CGMs at the outset and need hands-on support to use the device, interpret readings, manage alarms, and adjust their diet, exercise, and medications accordingly.
Ultimately, Dennis said that CGMs reduce total cost of care by creating real-time glucose feedback that improves patients’ glycemic stability and prevents acute events that lead to hospitalizations. She argued that expanding access to CGMs — and the support needed to use them effectively — could play a significant role in helping diabetes patients avert long-term complications such as cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and amputations.
Photo credit: Abbott