An Interventional Study To Assess Knowledge On Insulin Self Administration Among Diabetic Patients In Tertiary Care Hospital Of Dakshina Kannada

Hyperglycemia is the defining characteristic of diabetes mellitus (DM) caused by abnormalities in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. In order to prevent complications, optimal glycemic management is necessary to lower DM morbidity and mortality. The technique for injecting insulin is one of the areas where mistakes are most likely to occur. Correct administration of insulin is associated with better management of diabetes and eventually a good quality of life. An interventional study was carried out for subjects who were on insulin of either gender for a period of 6 months with a validated questionnaire to assess the knowledge on insulin self-administration. A total of 100 patients were interviewed, of which 54% were male and 46% were female. Among the 100 participants, only 41% had adequate knowledge regarding insulin before intervention. Knowledge regarding self-administration of insulin was assessed and it was found that 33% of the individuals didn't know the complications of insulin therapy were low blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. Only 26% of the participants had knowledge on correct angle for the administration of insulin whereas 74% were not aware of the correct angle of insulin administration. There was a significant difference between the correct responses of the participants before and after intervention. In the study, suboptimal responses to insulin delivery were reported. Patients knowledge was enhanced by education regarding insulin self-administration. Therefore, during each hospital visit, barriers should be filled by instructing patients on how to inject insulin.