Self-measurement of blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes: a health economic assessment.

Background: The clinical role and the potential benefit of self-measurement of blood glucose (SMBG) for patients with type 2 diabetes are still under discussion. Even less information is available on the cost-effectiveness of performing SMBG by this patient group. The goal of this study was to establish cost-effectiveness ratios of performing SMBG by patients afflicted by this disease.
Methods: We assessed the benefit and cost-effectiveness of SMBG in type 2 diabetes from a third-party payer perspective based on results of both a large epidemiologic cohort study reflecting the reality of care, and a Markov model calculation.
Results: Analysis of cohort study data revealed that total costs cumulated over the observation period of 8 years were lower in the SMBG group than in the non-SMBG group according to savings of euro 1'714 [oral antidiabetic drugs (OAD) only] and euro 13'815 (OAD + insulin) per patient. Several scenarios were considered in the model-based calculation. The cost-effectiveness ratio varied from euro 20'768/life year gained to domination of SMBG use compared to nonusers in OAD treated patients and from euro 59'057/life year gained to domination of SMBG use compared to nonusers in OAD + insulin treated patients.
Conclusion: Results indicate that SMBG in type 2 diabetes offers an excellent opportunity to get a high investment-outcome ratio in the treatment of this pandemic disease.