QUESTION UNDER STUDY: despite the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes, its financial burden on the Swiss healthcare system remains unclear. Our aim was to determine the cost of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) in reducing diabetic complications by comparing the direct costs to the Swiss statutory health insurance system of diabetic complications in SMBG users vs. nonusers. METHOD: matched pair analysis of the average annual total cost of diabetes monitoring, treatment-related services, complications and followup in the RetrOlective Study Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose and Outcome in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (ROSSO) study cohort, updated to 2005 from the year of occurrence or diagnosis of diabetes, applying an annual inflation rate of 5%. RESULTS: in those patients treated with oral antidiabetic drugs only, total annual costs were CHF 5,140 in SMBG users and CHF 5,654 in non - users. In those patients treated with oral antidiabetic drugs plus insulin, total annual costs were CHF 8,254 and CHF 11,776, respectively. SMBG accounted for 1.6% to 1.7% of total costs. CONCLUSION: cost analysis indicates that SMBG provides a rapid return on initial investment.
QUESTION UNDER STUDY: despite the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes, its financial burden on the Swiss healthcare system remains unclear. Our aim was to determine the cost of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) in reducing diabetic complications by comparing the direct costs to the Swiss statutory health insurance system of diabetic complications in SMBG users vs. nonusers. METHOD: matched pair analysis of the average annual total cost of diabetes monitoring, treatment-related services, complications and followup in the RetrOlective Study Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose and Outcome in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (ROSSO) study cohort, updated to 2005 from the year of occurrence or diagnosis of diabetes, applying an annual inflation rate of 5%. RESULTS: in those patients treated with oral antidiabetic drugs only, total annual costs were CHF 5,140 in SMBG users and CHF 5,654 in non - users. In those patients treated with oral antidiabetic drugs plus insulin, total annual costs were CHF 8,254 and CHF 11,776, respectively. SMBG accounted for 1.6% to 1.7% of total costs. CONCLUSION: cost analysis indicates that SMBG provides a rapid return on initial investment.