title: Improving patient acceptance of insulin therapy by improving needle design.
abstract: Improved needle designs could increase patient compliance with insulin therapy. In this issue of Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, Hirsch and colleagues assessed patient pain and preference for a 5-bevel needle design among diabetes patients. A blinded comparison with traditional 3-bevel needles yielded no significant difference, but patients preferred the 5-bevel needle in unblinded home injection and clinical insertion studies. This suggests that important subjective/contextual factors contribute to preference in conjunction with the fundamental needle design change. While 5-bevel needles may increase patient acceptance, more dramatic changes of needle design, such as microneedles, could enable still greater patient acceptance through reduced pain as well as improved insulin pharmacokinetics.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Prausnitz
mesh_terms: D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D058748:Pain Perception; D017060:Patient Satisfaction
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin