Reliability of reporting of self-monitoring of blood glucose in pregnant women

Abstract

Objective: To determine the accuracy of reporting of self-monitored blood glucose in pregnant women with diabetes.

Design: A descriptive study. Patient-recorded logs of self-monitored blood glucose values were compared to meter memory values.

Setting and participants: A convenience sample of 85 pregnant women with pregestational and gestational diabetes enrolled in a perinatal diabetes program in an urban teaching hospital.

Results: Accuracy significantly differed by diabetes type (p = .015). Women with type 1 diabetes did not accurately record on average 36.7% of blood glucose values as compared to 8.5% of type 2, 21.2% of GDMA(1) (gestational diabetes mellitus, diet controlled), and 23.4% of GDMA(2) (gestational diabetes mellitus, insulin controlled). Age positively affected accuracy, but accuracy was not affected by marital status, educational background, or duration of diabetes. Statistical significance was shown between values from women with private health insurance and women with Medicaid. Eighty percent of the sample overreported by adding phantom values in the logbook, which did not differ by diabetes type. Approximately 70% underreported by not logging values in the meter memory that was statistically significant by diabetes type.

Conclusion: Assessment of the reliability of self-monitored blood glucose results from pregnant women with diabetes is recommended owing to a significant degree of falsification.