Use of Radar Plots to Compare the Analytical Performance of Five Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems

Abstract

Aim: The radar plot is a relatively new way of communicating blood glucose monitoring system (BGMS) accuracy and precision: data points positioned within concentric circles represent the magnitude (increasing with distance from center) and direction (relative to horizontal) of BGMS-error (center = equivalency with reference instrument measurement). This manuscript aims to demonstrate the utility of radar plots as visual tools for interpretation of BGMS analytical performance. Results & methodology: Radar plots were constructed for five BGMSs, to compare BGMS blood glucose results with reference instrument measurements. Conclusion: Radar plots are a useful tool for the visualization of BGMS analytical performance, communicating accuracy, precision and the satisfaction of certain regulatory criteria at a glance.

Keywords:

• accuracy
• BGM
• diabetes management
• radar plot
• self-monitoring of blood glucose

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The previous clinical study and the creation of the graphical representations (radar plots) presented here were supported by Bayer HealthCare, the predecessor-in-interest of Ascensia Diabetes Care, Parsippany, NJ, USA. S Pardo and N Dunne are full-time employees of Ascensia Diabetes Care. DA Simmons was an employee of Ascensia Diabetes Care during the development of the work reported here. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Medical writing assistance was provided by A Michaelis of MedErgy, and B Andrews and J Currie of CircleScience (an Ashfield Healthcare company), and was funded in part by Ascensia Diabetes Care, and in part by Bayer HealthCare as Ascensia’s predecessor-in-interest.

Data sharing statement

The authors certify that this manuscript reports the secondary analysis of clinical trial data that have been shared with them, and that the use of this shared data is in accordance with the terms (if any) agreed upon their receipt. The source of this data is: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT01714232; sponsor, Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG. Individual, deidentified participant data for NCT01714232 (completed 2012) will not be shared. Data were available to the authors in their capacity as Ascensia employees: the secondary analyses reported here used anonymized data from the original study database, and were conducted by S Pardo, PStat^® in his capacity as an employee of Bayer HealthCare (the predecessor-in-interest of Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG). The primary analysis of these data has been reported previously [9].