Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38097245›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2023

Effectiveness, safety and costs of the FreeStyle Libre glucose monitoring system for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in Spain: a prospective, uncontrolled, pre-post study.

Himar González-Pacheco, Amado Rivero-Santana, Yolanda Ramallo-Fariña, Cristina Valcárcel-Nazco, Yolanda Álvarez-Pérez, Lidia García-Pérez, Miguel Angel García-Bello, Lilisbeth Perestelo-Pérez, Pedro Serrano-Aguilar, Health Professional Group

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 38% 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

0 citing papers in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Himar González-PachecoCanary Islands Health Research Institute Foundation (FIISC), Tenerife, Spain himar.gonzalezpacheco@sescs.es.ORCID 0000-0001-6651-0693
Amado Rivero-SantanaCanary Islands Health Research Institute Foundation (FIISC), Tenerife, Spain.
Yolanda Ramallo-FariñaCanary Islands Health Research Institute Foundation (FIISC), Tenerife, Spain.
Cristina Valcárcel-NazcoCanary Islands Health Research Institute Foundation (FIISC), Tenerife, Spain.
Yolanda Álvarez-PérezCanary Islands Health Research Institute Foundation (FIISC), Tenerife, Spain.
Lidia García-PérezCanary Islands Health Research Institute Foundation (FIISC), Tenerife, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-5626-8116
Miguel Angel García-BelloCanary Islands Health Research Institute Foundation (FIISC), Tenerife, Spain.
Lilisbeth Perestelo-PérezSpanish Network of Agencies for Assessing National Health System Technologies and Performance (RedETS), Tenerife, Spain.
Pedro Serrano-AguilarSpanish Network of Agencies for Assessing National Health System Technologies and Performance (RedETS), Tenerife, Spain.
Health Professional Group
Red de Investigación en Actividades Preventivas y Promoción de la Salud · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness, safety and costs of FreeStyle Libre (FSL) glucose monitoring system for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in Spain.

designProspective, multicentre pre-post study.

settingThirteen Spanish public hospitals recruited patients from January 2019 to March 2020, with a 12-month follow-up.

participants156 patients were included. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary: glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) change. Secondary: severe hypoglycaemic events (self-reported and clinical records), quality of life, diabetes treatment knowledge, treatment satisfaction, adverse events, adherence, sensor usage time and scans. Healthcare resource utilisation was assessed for cost analysis from the National Health System perspective, incorporating direct healthcare costs. Data analysis used mixed regression models with repeated measures. The intervention's total cost was estimated by multiplying health resource usage with unit costs.

resultsIn the whole sample, HbA1c increased significantly (0.32%; 95% CI 0.10% to 0.55%). In the subgroup with baseline HbA1c≥7.5% (n=88), there was a significant reduction at 3 months (-0.46%; 95% CI -0.69% to -0.23%), 6 months (-0.49%; 95% CI -0.73% to -0.25%) and 12 months (-0.43%; 95% CI -0.68% to -0.19%). Well-controlled patients had a significant 12-month worsening (0.32%; 95% CI 0.18% to 0.47%). Self-reported severe hypoglycaemia significantly decreased compared with the previous year for the whole sample (-0.37; 95% CI -0.62 to -0.11). Quality of life and diabetes treatment knowledge showed no significant differences, but satisfaction increased. Adolescents had lower sensor usage time and scans than children. Reduction in HbA1c was significantly associated with device adherence. No serious adverse effects were observed. Data suggest that use of FSL could reduce healthcare resource use (strips and lancets) and costs related to productivity loss.

conclusionsThe use of FSL in young patients with T1DM was associated with a significant reduction in severe hypoglycaemia, and improved HbA1c levels were seen in patients with poor baseline control. Findings suggest cost savings and productivity gains for caregivers. Causal evidence is limited due to the study design. Further research is needed to confirm results and assess risks, especially for patients with lower baseline HbA1c.

Indexed as

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1HypoglycemiaAdolescentBlood GlucoseBlood Glucose Self-MonitoringChildGlucoseGlycated HemoglobinHumansHypoglycemic AgentsProspective StudiesQuality of LifeSpainBlood GlucoseGlucoseGlycated HemoglobinHypoglycemic Agentshealth economicspaediatric endocrinologypublic health

Identifiers

PMID38097245
PMCPMC10729222
OpenAlexW4389803295

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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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.