New Survey Tool Can Gauge Resistance to Insulin Therapy

A group of investigators in Germany has devised and validated a 14-item questionnaire that measures type 2 diabetes patients' willingness to begin insulin therapy.

In the study, supported by Pfizer, researchers tested a 34-item questionnaire on a sample of 448 insulinnaïve people with type 2 diabetes and found that 14 questions in five general areas accounted for about 75% of the variance in patients' willingness to start insulin therapy.

The questions concerned fears of injection and self-testing, expectations regarding positive insulin-related outcomes, expected hardships from insulin therapy, stigmatization related to insulin injections, and fear of hypoglycemia.

The researchers tested and validated the list of 14 items—dubbed the Barriers to Insulin Treatment Questionnaire—in another sample of 449 people with type 2 diabetes, who were also insulin-naïve and were on oral drug therapy or a dietary regimen to control their diabetes. According to the researchers, all participants had glycated hemoglobin (A1C) levels that suggested a need for stepped-up intervention, “including insulin treatment.” The researchers claim the survey is easy to administer and recommend its use in research and in clinical settings to determine if patients are ready for insulin therapy.