Diabetes - home and mobile health monitoring

Recommendation for NHSScotland

• Home and mobile health monitoring (HMHM) lacks a universal definition, and the secondary literature included in the evidence note was heterogeneous, preventing definitive conclusions. 
• Evidence suggested an association between the use of HMHM and improvement in blood glucose control, but there was a lack of cost-effectiveness evidence and longer term evaluation.
• It is unclear whether the reductions in HbA1c are sustainable, clinically significant and independent of other aspects of diabetes care.

NHSScotland is required to consider the Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) advice.

What were we asked to look at?

What is the clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and safety of home and mobile health monitoring in addition to usual care compared with usual care for adults with diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2)?

Why is this important?

The Scottish Government has published a Scottish Diabetes Action Plan (2010) and Diabetes Improvement Plan (2014), which include a key focus on people with diabetes managing their own condition in partnership with their healthcare teams.

Referred by

Quality and Efficiency Support Team (QuEST) and the Scottish Centre for Telehealth and Telecare.