Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by the body’s inability to maintain healthy levels of blood glucose (glycemic control) which is associated with long-term health problems such as retinopathy, nephropathy, peripheral and autonomic neuropathy, cardiovascular symptoms, and sexual dysfunction.
Diabetes care is centered around the cornerstone of metabolic control; specifically keeping glucose levels as close to normal as possible through the self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), medication, a careful diet, and physical activity.
Traditionally, SMBG has been done by pricking the finger with a lancet to draw a drop of blood and directly testing the levels of glucose in the blood, sometimes multiples times per day. Recent developments in glucose monitoring devices have led to preference-sensitive decisions where patients have a large variety of choices in regard to function, features, cost, and other factors to consider when choosing which glucose monitor is best for them.
The aim of this study is to determine the preferences and trade-offs of diabetes patients when selecting a device for monitoring their glucose, and to determine whether these outcomes differ by type of preference elicitation method used, the kind of educational tool they are presented with, the way patients are recruited, and patient characteristics, or experiences.
FACT SHEET
Therapeutic area: Diabetes
Study led by: Erasmus University Rotterdam & University Medical Centre Utrecht
PREFER leads team: Chiara Whichello, Ian Smith, Ardine de Wit, Esther de Bekker-Grob
MPLC decision point of interest: Early development, HTA/reimbursement, post-marketing
PREFER case study acronym: EUR/UMCU
Clinical objectives: Which attributes of blood glucose monitoring devices patients consider when deciding on their preferred device, What is the relative importance of these different attributes in choosing which devices to use, Assess the minimum required benefits needed to justify increased costs
Patients from: Patient panels
Methods in Qualitative study: Individual interviews
Methods in Quantitative study: Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE), Swing Weighting
End-date data collection qualitative study: August 2019
End-date data collection quantitative study: Q4 2019/Q1 2020