Starting insulin treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus commonly takes place during hospital admission. Home blood glucose monitoring and specially trained nurses, however, enable the physician to start insulin treatment on an outpatient basis. Consistent application of this procedure starting 1-10-1986 resulted in a fall of hospital admissions from 98.3% to 13% in this category of patients. Severe hypo- or hyperglycaemic episodes did not occur. Starting insulin treatment as an outpatient is a safe and cost-saving procedure.
