Self-blood glucose monitoring in relation to medical cost: observation study with Utah Medicaid database

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Title Self-blood glucose monitoring in relation to medical cost: observation study with Utah Medicaid database
Publication Type thesis
School or College School of Medicine
Department Family & Preventive Medicine
Author Ho, Mei-Jen
Date 2005-08
Description Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders that has many long-term consequences costing $132 billion annually, a figure that can be improved with proper management. Previous long-term prospective studies have demonstrated that tight glycemic control will prevent and delay the development of subsequent complications. Consequently, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends daily self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) to achieve tight glycemic control, but mot diabetic patients do not practice SMBG. This study examined the association between the number of blood glucose monitoring reagent strips dispensed and the total diabetic medical and pharmacy cost in a Utah Medicaid population. Separate regression models were developed for diabetics treated with insulin and oral antihyperglycemic agents. This study found 7.3% of the patients enrolled in Utah Medicaid practiced SMBG according to the ADA guidelines. In this sample, patients using insulin and receiving a medium to high number of strips were estimated to have 40% - 53% higher medical cost than patients who received no strip during the same year. Level of AMBG, however, did not appear to affect total diabetes-related medical costs in the insulin group. Nevertheless, total diabetes costs trended upwards at the number of strip obtained increased. Similarly, oral patients were estimated to have 54% higher medical costs for adherent level of SMBG and a trend for higher diabetes cost as the number of strips obtained increased. Patients who obtained strips had higher resource utilization even after controlling for Comorbidity, visits and prior year medical costs. It is unlikely that the use of strips causes an increase in health resource utilization, but it is plausible that variables associated with strip use and increased medical costs are not adequately represented in the statistical models. The observation from this study to no support the growing evidence found in commercial market the positive economic impact of strips coverage for SMBG; however, the program does not provide assess for patient to improve self-efficacy and reduce dependency on medical care for control in the long-term. Longer prospective studies should be conducted to determine long-term outcomes in this population.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Utah; Medicaid; Blood Sugar Monitoring
Subject MESH Health Care Costs; Blood Glucose; Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring
Dissertation Institution University of Utah
Dissertation Name MPH
Language eng
Relation is Version of Digital reproduction of " Self-blood glucose monitoring in relation to medical cost: observation study with Utah Medicaid database." Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library. Print version of "Self-blood glucose monitoring in relation to medical cost: observation study with Utah Medicaid database." available at J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collection. RC39.5 2005 .H6.
Rights Management © Mei-Jen Ho.
Format application/pdf
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 1,299,203 bytes
Identifier undthes,4861
Source Original: University of Utah Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library (no longer available).
Master File Extent 1,299,267 bytes
ARK ark:/87278/s6wd42df
Setname ir_etd
ID 191583
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6wd42df
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