‘Is Insulin Right for Me?’: Web-based intervention to reduce psychological barriers to insulin therapy among adults with non-insulin-treated type 2 diabetes—A randomised controlled trial

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  • Elizabeth Holmes-Truscott
  • Edith E. Holloway
  • Benjamin Lam
  • Shaira Baptista
  • John Furler
  • Virginia Hagger
  • Skinner, Timothy
  • Jane Speight

Aims: To test ‘Is Insulin Right for Me?’, a theory-informed, self-directed, web-based intervention designed to reduce psychological barriers to insulin therapy among adults with type 2 diabetes. Further, to examine resource engagement and associations between minimum engagement and outcomes. Methods: Double-blind, two-arm randomised controlled trial (1:1), comparing the intervention with freely available online information (control). Eligible participants were Australian adults with type 2 diabetes, taking oral diabetes medications, recruited primarily via national diabetes registry. Exclusion criteria: prior use of injectable medicines; being ‘very willing’ to commence insulin. Data collections were completed online at baseline, 2-week and 6-month follow-up. Primary outcome: negative insulin treatment appraisal scale (ITAS) scores; secondary outcomes: positive ITAS scores and hypothetical willingness to start insulin. Analyses: intention-to-treat (ITT); per-protocol (PP) examination of outcomes by engagement. Trial registration: ACTRN12621000191897. Results: No significant ITT between-arm (intervention: n = 233; control: n = 243) differences were observed in primary (2 weeks: Mdiff [95% CI]: −1.0 [−2.9 to 0.9]; 6 months: −0.01 [−1.9 to 1.9]), or secondary outcomes at either follow-up. There was evidence of lower Negative ITAS scores at 2-week, but not 6-month, follow-up among those with minimum intervention engagement (achieved by 44%) compared to no engagement (−2.7 [−5.1 to −0.3]). Conclusions: Compared to existing information, ‘Is insulin right for me?’ did not improve outcomes at either timepoint. Small intervention engagement effects suggest it has potential. Further research is warranted to examine whether effectiveness would be greater in a clinical setting, following timely referral among those for whom insulin is clinically indicated.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere15117
JournalDiabetic Medicine
Volume40
Issue number7
Number of pages13
ISSN0742-3071
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This investigator‐sponsored study was supported by funding from Sanofi, Australia. Sanofi was not involved in the design, collection, analysis, interpretation or reporting of the study, but was given the opportunity to review the manuscript prior to submission. The decision to submit for publication was made independently by the authors. Sanofi will be allowed access to all de‐identified data from the study for research and audit purposes, if requested. In‐kind support including project oversight was provided by the Investigator team. EHT and JS are supported by the core funding to the Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes (ACBRD) provided by the collaboration between Diabetes Victoria and Deakin University. EEH, SB and BL were supported, in part, by an unrestricted grant from Diabetes Australia. Costs associated with participation incentives, website development and data management were funded (fully or partially) by the ACBRD.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Diabetes UK.

    Research areas

  • attitudes, insulin, intervention, psychological insulin resistance, randomised control trial, type 2 diabetes

ID: 354897313