Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21270183›Full record

Trial reportDiabetes care2011

Structured self-monitoring of blood glucose significantly reduces A1C levels in poorly controlled, noninsulin-treated type 2 diabetes: results from the Structured Testing Program study.

William H Polonsky, Lawrence Fisher, Charles H Schikman, Deborah A Hinnen, Christopher G Parkin, Zhihong Jelsovsky, Bettina Petersen, Matthias Schweitzer, Robin S Wagner

Open access · hybridAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Diabetes care, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 191 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
191citing papers in PubMed, 11 pooled it
27.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

191 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 423 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. [Diabetes technology (Update 2026)].Wiener klinische Wochenschrift · 2026
    Guideline
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131 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 7 institutions in 1 country.

William H PolonskyUniversity of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA. cgparkin@aol.com
Lawrence Fisher
Charles H Schikman
Deborah A Hinnen
Christopher G Parkin
Zhihong Jelsovsky
Bettina Petersen
Matthias Schweitzer
Robin S Wagner
Roche (United States) · USAtlanta Diabetes Associates · USCare Resource · USNorthShore University HealthSystem · USStart International · USUniversity of California, San Diego · USUniversity of California, San Francisco · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo assess the effectiveness of structured blood glucose testing in poorly controlled, noninsulin-treated type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND

methodsThis 12-month, prospective, cluster-randomized, multicenter study recruited 483 poorly controlled (A1C ≥ 7.5%), insulin-naïve type 2 diabetic subjects from 34 primary care practices in the U.S. Practices were randomized to an active control group (ACG) with enhanced usual care or a structured testing group (STG) with enhanced usual care and at least quarterly use of structured self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). STG patients and physicians were trained to use a paper tool to collect/interpret 7-point glucose profiles over 3 consecutive days. The primary end point was A1C level measured at 12 months.

resultsThe 12-month intent-to-treat analysis (ACG, n = 227; STG, n = 256) showed significantly greater reductions in mean (SE) A1C in the STG compared with the ACG: -1.2% (0.09) vs. -0.9% (0.10); Δ = -0.3%; P = 0.04. Per protocol analysis (ACG, n = 161; STG, n = 130) showed even greater mean (SE) A1C reductions in the STG compared with the ACG: -1.3% (0.11) vs. -0.8% (0.11); Δ = -0.5%; P < 0.003. Significantly more STG patients received a treatment change recommendation at the month 1 visit compared with ACG patients, regardless of the patient's initial baseline A1C level: 179 (75.5%) vs. 61 (28.0%); <0.0001. Both STG and ACG patients displayed significant (P < 0.0001) improvements in general well-being (GWB).

conclusionsAppropriate use of structured SMBG significantly improves glycemic control and facilitates more timely/aggressive treatment changes in noninsulin-treated type 2 diabetes without decreasing GWB.

Indexed as

AdultAgedBlood GlucoseBlood Glucose Self-MonitoringDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2FemaleGlycated HemoglobinHumansHypoglycemic AgentsMaleMiddle AgedPatient Education as TopicPatient ParticipationPrimary Health CareProspective StudiesBlood GlucoseGlycated Hemoglobinhemoglobin A1c protein, humanHypoglycemic Agents

Identifiers

PMID21270183
PMCPMC3024331
OpenAlexW2102487069

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.