At-home hemoglobin A1c testing during COVID-19 improved glycemic control

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• COVID-19 has worsened access to routine chronic disease management tests.
• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) testing is crucial for monitoring type 2 diabetes (T2D).
• Barriers to regular HbA1c testing impact T2D patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if at-home HbA1c test kits increase testing frequency.
• To determine if these kits lead to HbA1c level changes 6 months post-testing.
• To assess if self-reinforcement education aids sustained HbA1c testing.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of a randomized, controlled quality improvement intervention.
• Involved 41,214 commercial members with T2D.
• Intervention groups received opt-in/opt-out at-home HbA1c kits or self-reinforcement messaging.

Main Results:

• At-home HbA1c kits increased testing rates by 4.9% compared to controls.
• Members completing at-home tests showed a 0.38% HbA1c reduction.
• Self-reinforcement messaging resulted in a 0.37% HbA1c reduction.

Conclusions:

• At-home HbA1c testing is an effective intervention for increasing testing rates in T2D patients.
• This approach facilitates HbA1c reduction over time.
• Home-based testing offers a novel solution to improve chronic disease management.