Study Shows CGM Devices Reduce Costs, Improve Care

DALLAS—CCS Medical, a clinical solutions and home-delivered medical supplies provider, announced new research results which found patients living with diabetes who use a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device stay on therapy longer and have a lower total cost of care when they receive their supplies through a medical benefit. 

The peer-reviewed study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research Diabetes (JMIR), used a retrospective claims analysis to demonstrate that patients receiving CGM through a medical benefit instead of a pharmacy had 35% lower average annual total costs of care and 23% higher device adherence rates.

The JMIR diabetes research—titled “Exploring Real-World Adherence and Cost Implications of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Patients with Diabetes: Impact of Device Sourcing”—was conducted by CCS as part of its efforts to optimize chronic care management for patients and clinicians. The research showed statistically significant insights that reinforce the significance of which benefit channel through which patients access CGM. 

Diabetes patients using a CGM provided through the medical benefit instead of the pharmacy benefit demonstrated:

• Stronger adherence to CGM therapy: Medical benefit had 23% greater adherence than pharmacy benefit.
• A higher rate of therapy reinitiation in non-adherent patients: Medical benefit was 22%, while pharmacy benefit was only 10%.
• Lower average total cost of care: Total medical costs for adherent patients receiving supplies through the pharmacy benefit were 53% greater.

“CGMs are only effective if people use them,” said Arti Masturzo, chief medical officer of CCS. “This first-of-its-kind research demonstrates that a physician’s decision to direct a patient to use their medical benefit instead of their pharmacy benefit when accessing a medical device can seriously impact health outcomes and costs of care. Data-driven insights like this are highly valuable to clinicians and care teams who are the first line of defense when it comes to improving patient outcomes and reducing waste in our health care system.”

With only half (52%) of patients using CGM technology reporting that they received diabetes self-management education and support, the company said the need for increased investment in diabetes education and coaching for patients is pressing. Additionally, widely reported staffing shortages and pharmacy closures often leave patients with less access and clinicians and pharmacists with less time to support patients in proactive and preventive care best practices, such as education and coaching specific to using a new CGM.