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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: BACKGROUND, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Adult, Aged, Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Female, Glycated Hemoglobin A, Humans, Malaysia, Male, Middle Aged, Primary Health Care.
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Is usage of glucometer associated with improved glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Malaysian public primary care clinics : an open-label , randomised controlled trial? Context: Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) has been underutilised. We conducted an open-label, randomised controlled trial to assess the feasibility of introducing SMBG in primary care clinics in Malaysia. This was an open-label, randomised controlled trial conducted in five public primary care clinics in Malaysia. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (age range 35-65 years) not performing SMBG at the time of the study were randomised to receive either a glucometer for SMBG or usual care. Both groups of patients received similar diabetes care from the clinics. A total of 105 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were enrolled. Of these, 58 and 47 were randomised to intervention and control groups, respectively. After six months, the glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level in the intervention group showed a statistically significant improvement of 1.3% (p = 0.001; 95% confidence interval 0.6-2.0), relative to the control group that underwent usual care. The percentages of patients that reached the HbA1c treatment target of ≤ 7% were 14.0% and 32.1% in the control and intervention groups (p = 0.036), respectively.
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The usage of a glucometer improved glycaemic control, possibly due to the encouragement of greater self-care in the intervention group. Final Decision: yes