Abstract
In Hamamatsu Medical Center, we introduced a data management software (DMS) system that allows all diabetic outpatients to access a computer-readable self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) meter using non-contact integrated circuit cards. We herein examine the reliability of the patients' SMBG logbooks and how educating the patients who use the DMS system can play a role in their treatment. Methods and Results. Accurate SMBG values in the patients' logbooks were defined as those that differed less than 10 % from the values in the DMS system's memory. The percentage accuracy was represented by the number of accurate SMBG values divided by the sum of the numbers of patient-recorded and non-recorded values. The median accuracy was 95.1 % and the average was 86.4 %. Sixty out of 104 patients (57.7 %) had problems with reliability. Among 63 patients, the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) value one year after the introduction of the DMS system improved significantly in the non-accuracy group (accuracy group: 7.34±0.88 % before and 7.33±0.91 % after, p=NS; non-accuracy group: 7.62±1.20 % before and 7.27±1.06 % after; p<0.05). Conclusion. The blood glucose data should therefore be used with caution due to reliability problems.
