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Updated: Sep 14, 2025

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital
Published on: June 11, 2012
Beyond glycemic metrics: Real-world benefits of connected insulin pens in type 1 diabetes
A Chico1, M Pazos-Couselo2, L Nattero-Chavez3
1Santa Creu i Sant Pau University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER-BBN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Aims:
To determine whether connected insulin pens can improve glucose control, variability and patient-reported outcomes in type 1 diabetes.
Methods:
Prospective, multicenter, real-life clinical practice study with 220 participants treated with multiple daily insulin injections and continuous glucose monitoring. HbA1c, glucometry, quality of life, awareness and fear of hypoglycemia, treatment satisfaction and glucose variability were analyzed before and 12 weeks after using connected pens, with no changes in the treatment regimen or the type of insulin during this period. Omitted basal and prandial insulin injections and delayed prandial doses were recorded and analyzed for their influence on glycemic control.
Results:
Time in range (TIR), hypoglycemia awareness and patient-reported outcomes improved and HbA1c decreased. Time spent with glucose 120-140 mg/dl increased, whereas time spent 240-300 mg/dl decreased. The omission of basal and prandial insulin doses was frequent (33.8 % and 65.7 %, respectively) as well delayed injections (90.5 %). The omission of basal insulin had a greater impact than prandial omissions: increase in 10/16 variability indexes examined and time above range, and decrease in TIR and TTIR. Delayed prandial doses elicited an increase in 7/16 analyzed variability parameters.
Conclusions:
Connected insulin pens enhanced glycemic control, mitigated glucose variability and improve patient-reported outcomes.
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