Supporting people with type 2 diabetes who need insulin

Abstract

The year 2022 marks 100 years since the first person with diabetes received an insulin injection and supporting people with insulin self‐management is a core role for diabetes nurses. Janet Kinson was a diabetes nurse and author. She developed the first diabetes education programme for nurses and the topic of insulin was central to the curriculum. This article will honour the contribution she made by focusing on diabetes education for people with type 2 diabetes who need insulin. It will start by tracing why and when people with type 2 diabetes should start insulin treatment followed by an exploration of the barriers to starting insulin at the level of the individual, the health care professional and the health system. We know that around 50% of people with type 2 diabetes delay starting insulin for seven years when it is clinically indicated. We also know that around a third of people with type 2 diabetes who are insulin treated remain hyperglycaemic or experience frequent hypoglycaemia. Therefore, there is a need for interventions that address delay, optimise starting insulin as well as consider how we best support people with type 2 diabetes to persist with and intensify their insulin over the diabetes journey. This article presents the current literature on interventions to support people with type 2 diabetes with insulin and identify gaps in support that may be addressed in future research. Copyright © 2022 John Wiley & Sons..