Factors affecting use of insulin pens by patients with type 2 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To assess factors that might affect patient use of insulin pens.


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.
Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. rrubin4@jhmi.edu
Richard R
RR
Rubin
Mark
M
Peyrot
D000328:Adult; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007332:Insulin Infusion Systems; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012648:Self Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data