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Evaluation of home testing to improve follow up after gestational diabetes (Fingerstick Assessments of Sugar Two-months postpartum or FAST)
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Evaluation of home testing to improve follow up after gestational diabetes (Fingerstick Assessments of Sugar Two-months postpartum or FAST)

Michael P. Carson, Beth G. Lewis, Elvis R. Pagan, Martin Evers and Sarah S Long
Obstetric medicine, v 6(3)
01 Sep 2013
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1753495X13479346
PMID: 27708703
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1177/1753495x13479346View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Open Access (License Unspecified),  Open

Abstract

Life Sciences & Biomedicine Obstetrics & Gynecology Science & Technology
Objective: Historically the rates of postpartum glucose tolerance testing for women with gestational diabetes (GDM) average a suboptimal 33%. Barriers include the need for new mothers to miss work and/or arrange for childcare in order to engage in a two-hour test at a commercial lab. This pilot study was initiated to test the theory that a home testing regimen would be accepted by patients and increase the rate of postpartum glucose assessments relative to published rates, without requiring additional health-care staff or resources to achieve this goal. Study design: Six weeks postpartum, women with GDM from an academic private practice were asked to check fingerstick blood glucose (FAST Protocol) four times a day for two days, and then obtain an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The physician consultants saw the women each month during pregnancy and arranged the postpartum testing. Results: Two of 69 refused to be consented. Twelve of the remaining 67(18%) women completed both the FAST regimen and the OGTT, three completed only the OGTTand five completed only the FAST regimen for a final follow-up rate of 20/67 (30%). The demands of caring for a newborn, or the annoyance of fingersticks, were barriers to compliance. Conclusions: In spite of intense physician involvement, this home testing regimen was not associated with an increase in the rates of women participating in postpartum glucose assessments.

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6 Record Views
4 citations in Web of Science
4 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#5 Gender Equality
#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Obstetrics & Gynecology
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