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Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital
Published on: June 11, 2012
Basal insulin initiation in primary vs. specialist care: similar glycaemic control in two different patient
D Orozco-Beltran1, C Pan2, A L Svendsen3
1Department of Medicine, Cathedra of Family Medicine, University Miguel Hernandez, Alicante, Spain.
Objective:
To investigate the effect of healthcare provider (HCP) type (primary vs. specialist) on glycaemic control and other treatment parameters.
Research Design And Methods:
Study of Once-Daily Levemir (SOLVE(™) ) is an international, 24-week, observational study of insulin initiation in people with type 2 diabetes.
Results:
A total of 17,374 subjects were included, comprising 4144 (23.9%) primary care subjects. Glycaemic control improved in both HCP groups from baseline to final visit [glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) -1.2 ± 1.4% (-13.1 ± 15.3 mmol/mol) and -1.3 ± 1.6% (-14.2 ± 17.5 mmol/mol), respectively]. After adjustment for known confounders, there was no statistically significant effect of HCP group on final HbA1c [-0.04%, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.09 to -0.01 (-0.4 mmol/mol, 95% CI -1.0-0.1 mmol/mol), p = 0.1590]. However, insulin doses at the final visit were higher in primary care patients (+0.06, 95% CI 0.06-0.07 U/kg, p < 0.0001). Logistic regression demonstrated a significant effect of HCP type (primary vs. specialist care) on hypoglycaemia risk [odds ratio (OR) 0.75, 95% CI 0.64-0.87, p = 0.0002]. Primary care physicians took more time to train patients and had more frequent contact with patients than specialists (both p < 0.0001).
Conclusions:
Primary care physicians and specialists achieved comparable improvements in glycaemic control following insulin initiation.
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