Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of monetary reinforcement to increase the frequency of self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG).
Research design and methods: Ten adolescents with poorly controlled diabetes enrolled in a 12-week program in which they earned monetary reinforcers based on SMBG frequency ($0.10 per test, with bonuses for ≥4 tests per day, and $251.40 maximum).
Results: SMBG increased from 1.8 ± 1.0 to 4.9 ± 1.0 tests per day (P < 0.001) with 90% completing four or more tests per day. Mean A1C fell from 9.3 ± 0.9% to 8.4 ± 1.5% (P = 0.05). Adolescents and parents reported high satisfaction with procedures.
Conclusions: Reinforcing adolescents for SMBG may increase testing and improve A1C.
© 2015 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.