Overcoming Patient Barriers to Initiating Insulin Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Data from clinical trials underscore the fact that loss of β-cell function and insulin hyposecretion are progressive in type 2 diabetes. To achieve adequate glycemic control, most patients will eventually require insulin. Addition of insulin to sulfonylurea therapy, when maximal sulfonylurea does not adequately maintain fasting plasma glucose levels at <108 mg/dL, has been found to be more effective than initiating insulin therapy after oral agents have failed to maintain glycemic control. Nonetheless, both patients and providers are reluctant to begin insulin therapy. Research has shown that providers often delay modification of the diabetes treatment regimen because they believe their patients would be concerned about starting insulin therapy. In addition, they are concerned about patient nonadherence to nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapy. There are multiple reasons for patient nonadherence to insulin therapy; however, patients must be made to understand, early in the course of the disease, the progressive nature of type 2 diabetes and that exogenous insulin is an additional therapeutic option to help them achieve and maintain adequate glycemic control.