Personalized Care and the Role of Insulin as a Vehicle to Optimizing Treatments in Diabetes Care

BACKGROUND: In patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) with poor glycemic control, there is an unmet need for treatment optimization involving the initiation and/or intensification of insulin therapy, which is often delayed because of clinical inertia. Educational initiatives that target patients and physicians might be one way to address this need. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of educational materials mailed to physicians and their patients in affecting initiation of insulin therapy and other health care outcomes. METHODS: This study, named PIVOTs (Personalized care and the role of Insulin as a Vehicle to Optimizing Treatments), used integrated medical and pharmacy claims data from the U.S.-based HealthCore Integrated Research Database between January 1, 2006, and April 4, 2014, to identify patients who were potential candidates for insulin therapy. Eligible patients were aged 18-75 years, currently enrolled in a commercial or Medicare Advantage health plan, with T2D diagnosis codes. Patients sel...