Open AccessAssociation Between Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitor Use and Diabetes-Related Medical Costs for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Author(s) -
Gregory J. Norman,
Misti L. Paudel,
Christopher G. Parkin,
T. A. Bancroft,
Peter Lynch
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
diabetes technology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.142
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1557-8593
pISSN - 1520-9156
DOI - 10.1089/dia.2021.0525
Subject(s) - medicine , type 2 diabetes , diabetes mellitus , emergency medicine , population , retrospective cohort study , medical costs , health care , resource use , intensive care medicine , environmental health , endocrinology , natural resource economics , economic growth , economics
Little is known about the impact of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) on diabetes-related medical costs within the type 2 diabetes (T2D) population. A retrospective analysis of administrative claims data from the Optum Research Database was conducted. Changes in diabetes-related health care resource utilization costs were expressed as per-patient-per-month (PPPM) costs. A total of 571 T2D patients (90% insulin treated) met study inclusion criteria. Average PPPM for diabetes-related medical costs decreased by -$424 (95% confidence interval [CI] -$816 to -$31, P = 0.035) after initiating rtCGM. These reductions were driven, in part, by reductions in diabetes-related inpatient medical costs: -$358 (95% CI -$706 to -$10, P = 0.044). Inpatient hospital admissions were reduced on average -0.006 PPPM ( P = 0.057) and total hospital days were reduced an average of -0.042 PPPM ( P = 0.139). These findings provide real-world evidence that rtCGM use was associated with diabetes-related health care resource utilization cost reductions in patients with T2D.