Factors Affecting Use of Insulin Pens by Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
- Richard R. Rubin, PHD12 and
- Mark Peyrot, PHD13
- 1Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- 2Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- 3Department of Sociology, Loyola College in Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Richard R. Rubin, PhD, 946 E. Piney Hill Rd., Monkton, MD 21111. E-mail: rrubin4{at}jhmi.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—To assess factors that might affect patient use of insulin pens.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Patients (n = 600: 300 using vial and syringe and 300 using pen) were recruited from national panels to participate in computer-assisted telephone interviews. Measures included: demographic characteristics; diabetes treatment and self-care factors; perceptions of pen convenience, clinical efficacy, facilitation of self-care, and cost; and degree of physicians' recommending pen use.
RESULTS—Physician recommendation of pen use powerfully discriminated pen users from nonusers (odds ratio 135.6). Other factors that discriminated pen users included physicians' presenting pens as an option (14.1) and patient perceptions that pens facilitate diabetes self-care (20.2) and are not costly (4.8).
CONCLUSIONS—The physician's role in presenting the pen as an option and recommending pen use was a critical factor in patient pen use. Enhanced physician education regarding the potential benefits of pen use and encouraging physicians to discuss pen use with patients could improve diabetes outcomes.
Footnotes
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Published ahead of print at http://care.diabetesjournals.org on 26 November 2007. DOI: 10.2337/dc07-1899.
R.R.R. is a member of scientific advisory committees of and has received consulting fees and research grant support from Novo Nordisk; has received consulting fees and research grant support from MannKind Corp.; has received consulting fees from Eli Lilly; is a member of a scientific advisory committee of and has received consulting fees and research grant support from Medtroni MiniMed; and is a member of a scientific advisory board of and has received honoraria from Animas Co. M.P. has received research grants from Amylin, MannKind, Medtronic, and Novo Nordisk; has received consulting fees from Amylin, Animas, MannKind, Medtronic, and Novo Nordisk; has received speaking honoraria from Novo Nordisk; and has served on an advisory panel for Novo Nordisk.
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
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- Accepted November 14, 2007.
- Received October 2, 2007.
- DIABETES CARE
