Shining the Spotlight on Multiple Daily Insulin Therapy: Real-World Evidence of the InPen Smart Insulin Pen

Connected Pens or Smart Pens: Technology Needs Context

Subcutaneous insulin administration has come a long way; pens that are connected to smartphones/cloud enable data transfer about insulin dosing. The usage of detailed dosing information in a smart way can support the optimization of insulin therapy in many ways. This review discusses terminology aspects that are relevant to the optimal usage of this novel option for insulin administration. Taking such aspects into account might also be crucial to improving the uptake of these medical products. In contrast to systems for automated insulin delivery, people with diabetes have to administer the insulin dose themselves; the technology can only support them. Combining smart pens with systems for continuous glucose monitoring provides solutions that are close to an automated solution, but are more discrete and associated with lower costs.

Redesigning Pharmacy to Improve Public Health Outcomes: Expanding Retail Spaces for Digital Therapeutics to Replace Consumer Products That Increase Mortality and Morbidity Risks

United States healthcare outcomes, including avoidable mortality rates, are among the worst of high-income countries despite the highest healthcare spending per capita. While community pharmacies contribute to chronic disease management and preventive medicine, they also offer consumer products that increase mortality risks and the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and depression. To resolve these contradictions, our perspective article describes opportunities for major pharmacy chains (e.g., CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens) to introduce digital health aisles dedicated to prescription and over-the-counter digital therapeutics (DTx), together with mobile apps and wearables that support disease self-management, wellness, and well-being. We provide an evidence-based rationale for digital health aisles to replace spaces devoted to sugar-sweetened beverages and other unhealthy commodities (alcohol, tobacco) that may increase risks for premature death. We discuss how digital health aisles can serve as marketing and patient education resources, informing customers about commercially available DTx and other technologies that support healthy lifestyles. Since pharmacy practice requires symbiotic balancing between profit margins and patient-centered, value-based care, replacing health-harming products with health-promoting technologies could positively impact prevention of chronic diseases, as well as the physical and mental health of patients and caregivers who visit neighborhood pharmacies in order to pick up medicines.

The use of technology in type 2 diabetes and prediabetes: a narrative review

The increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes, which represents 90% of diabetes cases globally, is a major public health concern. Improved glucose management reduces the risk of vascular complications and mortality; however, only a small proportion of the type 2 diabetes population have blood glucose levels within the recommended treatment targets. In recent years, diabetes technologies have revolutionised the care of people with type 1 diabetes, and it is becoming increasingly evident that people with type 2 diabetes can also benefit from these advances. In this review, we describe the current knowledge regarding the role of technologies for people living with type 2 diabetes and the evidence supporting their use in clinical practice. We conclude that continuous glucose monitoring systems deliver glycaemic benefits for individuals with type 2 diabetes, whether treated with insulin or non-insulin therapy; further data are required to evaluate the role of these systems in those with prediabetes (defined as impaired glucose tolerance and/or impaired fasting glucose and/or HbA1c levels between 39 mmol/mol [5.7%] and 47 mmol/mol [6.4%]). The use of insulin pumps seems to be safe and effective in people with type 2 diabetes, especially in those with an HbA1c significantly above target. Initial results from studies exploring the impact of closed-loop systems in type 2 diabetes are promising. We discuss directions for future research to fully understand the potential benefits of integrating evidence-based technology into care for people living with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.

Impact of Missed and Late Meal Boluses on Glycemic Outcomes in Automated Insulin Delivery-Treated Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: A Two-Center, Population-Based Cohort Study

Objective: To evaluate the impact of missed or late meal boluses (MLBs) on glycemic outcomes in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes using automated insulin delivery (AID) systems. Research Design and Methods: AID-treated (Tandem Control-IQ or Medtronic MiniMed 780G) children and adolescents (aged 6-21 years) from Stanford Medical Center and Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen with ≥10 days of data were included in this two-center, binational, population-based, retrospective, 1-month cohort study. The primary outcome was the association between the number of algorithm-detected MLBs and time in target glucose range (TIR; 70-180 mg/dL). Results: The study included 189 children and adolescents (48% females with a mean ± standard deviation age of 13 ± 4 years). Overall, the mean number of MLBs per day in the cohort was 2.2 ± 0.9. For each additional MLB per day, TIR decreased by 9.7% points (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.3; 8.1), and compared with the quartile with fewest MLBs (Q1), the quartile with most (Q4) had 22.9% less TIR (95% CI: 27.2; 18.6). The age-, sex-, and treatment modality-adjusted probability of achieving a TIR of >70% in Q4 was 1.4% compared with 74.8% in Q1 (P < 0.001). Conclusions: MLBs significantly impacted glycemic outcomes in AID-treated children and adolescents. The results emphasize the importance of maintaining a focus on bolus behavior to achieve a higher TIR and support the need for further research in technological or behavioral support tools to handle MLBs.

Association Between Treatment Adherence and Continuous Glucose Monitoring Outcomes in People With Diabetes Using Smart Insulin Pens in a Real-World Setting

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association of insulin injection adherence, smart insulin pen engagement, and glycemic control using real-world data from 16 countries from adults self-administering basal insulin degludec and bolus insulin with a smart insulin pen (NovoPen 6 or NovoPen Echo Plus) alongside continuous glucose monitoring (CGM).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Data were aggregated over 14-day periods. Treatment adherence was defined according to the number of missed basal and missed bolus insulin doses and smart pen engagement according to the number of days with data uploads.

RESULTS

Data from 3,945 adults, including 25,157 14-day periods with ≥70% CGM coverage, were analyzed. On average, 0.2 basal and 6.0 bolus insulin doses were missed over 14 days. The estimated probability of missing at least one basal insulin dose over a 14-day period was 17.6% (95% CI 16.5, 18.7). Missing one basal or bolus insulin dose per 14 days was associated with a significant decrease in percentage of time with glucose levels in range (TIR) (3.9-10.0 mmol/L), of -2.8% (95% CI -3.7, -1.8) and -1.7% (-1.8, -1.6), respectively; therefore, missing two basal or four bolus doses would decrease TIR by >5%. Smart pen engagement was associated positively with glycemic outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This combined analysis of real-world smart pen and CGM data showed that missing two basal or four bolus insulin doses over a 14-day period would be associated with a clinically relevant decrease in TIR. Smart insulin pens provide valuable insights into treatment injection behaviors.

Technology and health inequities in diabetes care: How do we widen access to underserved populations and utilize technology to improve outcomes for all?

Digital health technologies are being utilized increasingly in the modern management of diabetes. These include tools such as continuous glucose monitoring systems, connected blood glucose monitoring devices, hybrid closed-loop systems, smart insulin pens, telehealth, and smartphone applications (apps). Although many of these technologies have a solid evidence base, from the perspective of a person living with diabetes, there remain multiple barriers preventing their optimal use, creating a digital divide. In this article, we describe many of the origins of these barriers and offer recommendations on widening access to digital health technologies for underserved populations living with diabetes to improve their health outcomes.