How Data Can Help Manage Diabetes Better: A New Approach

In the world of healthcare, data is becoming a powerful tool. It helps experts understand how treatments work over time. One big challenge is figuring out the best way to treat type-2 diabetes. This is where a method called Two Stage Least Squares (2SLS) comes into play. Normally, 2SLS is used to deal with biases in data. But what if the treatments change over time? This is where things get tricky. The usual methods might not work well. That's why researchers decided to test an extended version of 2SLS. They wanted to see if it could handle time-varying treatments better.They ran a simulation study. The results were promising. The extended 2SLS performed well in many different situations. It even handled some model misspecifications. This means it could be a reliable tool for evaluating treatments that change over time. But how does this apply to real life? Researchers used this method to evaluate treatment intensification for type-2 diabetes. They looked at prescribing preferences to create a time-varying instrument. This helped them understand the effects of treatment changes better. This new approach could be a game-changer. It allows for a more accurate evaluation of treatments. This could lead to better management of type-2 diabetes. And who knows? It might even help other chronic conditions.