Effect of wireless glucose meter on hyperglycemia and prenatal visits

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus can have devastating effects in the health of the mother and child. While pregnancy rates are decreasing, prevalence of GDM is increasing, and it is estimated that up to 9% of pregnancies are complicated by diabetes in the United States. Traditional treatment and monitoring of gestational diabetes mellitus relies on patient’s compliance to document glycemic levels. This proposed study will evaluate the effectiveness of telemedicine using a wireless glucose meter that transmits information to the providers in real time. The prospective open cohort randomized clinical trial will take place in medical centers around Boston. Two hundred participants diagnosed with gestational diabetes will be recruited over a period of 24 months from these centers and randomly placed into two groups. One group will follow traditional treatment, and the intervention group will be asked to use iGlucose meter system. Glycemic levels and frequency of prenatal visits will be evaluated and analyzed. If telemedicine proves to be efficacious in treating GDM, this would give providers a new treatment plan to consider to effectively manage blood glucose levels and reduce poor perinatal outcomes related to gestational diabetes mellitus.