The role of self-monitoring of blood glucose in the care of people with diabetes: report of a global consensus conference

Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is an underutilized but integral part of disease management for patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Guidelines on the recommended frequency and timing of SMBG vary among international diabetes associations, and patients are often unaware of actions they should take in response to SMBG results. In response to this, a global consensus conference of recognized diabetes experts convened to clarify the role of SMBG as a tool to help optimize glycemic control (e.g., complementing information provided by hemoglobin A1c, detecting postprandial excursions, identifying glucose patterns, and providing patients feedback on lifestyle and medications) while minimizing hypoglycemia and maintaining quality of life. The consensus panel also sought to reinforce the importance of appropriate and systematic patient and provider response to the collected SMBG data. A set of 16 consensus statements was approved by the panel. This article presents the 16 statements together with some brief rationale for their inclusion.