Intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring adoption decreases diabetic ketoacidosis hospitalizations and healthcare costs in adults with type 1 diabetes.

AIMS: This study analyzed the impact of implementing intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring (isCGM) on hospitalization rates for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) among adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Additionally, it assessed the direct costs and savings associated with these hospital admissions.

METHODS

A comprehensive regional dataset from Andalusia, Spain, was used to extract emergency care codes for DKA in individuals with T1DM who started using isCGM between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021. Hospitalization rates for DKA were compared during the 12 months before and after isCGM implementation to determine population-level incidence rates.

RESULTS

The study included 13,616 individuals with T1DM (mean age: 43.7 ± 13.5 years, 46.9 % women). The incidence rate of DKA hospitalizations decreased from 79.26 to 40.28 admissions per 10,000 person-years (rate ratio [RR]: 0.5 [0.40-0.63]). The most significant reduction was observed in patients with HbA1c ≥ 10 %, with 136 fewer events per 10,000 person-years. This reduction resulted in an estimated cost saving of €782,836.81.

CONCLUSION

The implementation of isCGM significantly reduced DKA hospital admissions in adults with T1DM, leading to substantial cost savings. These findings highlight the clinical and economic benefits of isCGM in improving patient outcomes and optimizing healthcare resources.