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One-third of patients with diabetes have fear of insulin injections

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AADE 35th Annual Meeting

WASHINGTON — Results from a survey released today by the American Association of Diabetes Educators detail communication issues between health care providers and patients with diabetes who take insulin injections.

According to the Injection Impact Report survey findings, 33% of 502 patients with insulin-requiring diabetes surveyed have experienced dread in relation to insulin injections.

Survey findings also revealed that most patients do not discuss concerns about insulin with their health care providers, which can potentially jeopardize effective diabetes management. Of those patients surveyed, 52% reported not discussing concerns about the emotional and physical aspects of insulin with their providers. Yet, 47% said they would be more adherent to their insulin if they knew how to ease the pain and discomfort associated with injections.

Based on responses from 301 health care providers surveyed, 12% reported having patients address quality of life concerns regarding insulin. Seventy-one percent said they were aware of the impact of insulin injections on patients’ quality of life, but just 40% reported addressing these issues with patients.

The goal of the survey was to encourage both patients and providers to take a more proactive role in communicating concerns about insulin injections, according to Amparo Gonzalez, RN, BSN, CDE, president of the AADE.

“If we can improve the quality of life for 33% of people with diabetes who are insulin dependent, then we can be one step closer to lessening the impact of the disease on our patients’ lives,” Gonzalez said in a press release.

The surveys were conducted online by Harris Interactive between June 12 and July 7, 2008. To view the full report, visit www.injectionimpact.com. – by Katie Kalvaitis

The survey seems to indicate that there is a lack of adherence because of fear of insulin injections. It also shows there is disconnect between what patients believe and what health care providers seem to think. We need patients and providers both to recognize that fear of insulin injections is a problem in achieving adherence. If we can minimize the discomfort of the shot itself, perhaps we can increase adherence and improve diabetes control.

– Luther Travis, MD

Emeritus Professor, University of Texas