Multimedia Health Education on Insulin Injection Skills for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Multimedia health education may be applied to improve self-care behaviors in patients. However, the long-term effects of multimedia health education on insulin injection performance have been insufficiently studied. Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a multimedia insulin pen-injector health education intervention on patients in terms of their insulin injection skills and glycated hemoglobin level and the time spent by nurses on insulin injection education. Methods: Using a randomized controlled trial and two-group repeated-measures study design, patients with type 2 diabetes who were novice users of a Lantus, Levemir, or Novomix pen injector were recruited. A total of 72 patients, comprising 36 in a control group and 36 in an experimental group, participated in the study. The participants’ injection skills were photographed using a smart phone. Results: Patients in the experimental group earned higher scores for attaching a new needle, removing air bubbles, selecting the required dose, selecting a suitable injection site (abdomen, arms, thigh, or buttocks), and injection performance skills than those in the control group. However, no significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of HbA1c levels at 13 weeks after discharge. The time spent by nurses on delivering health education to the experimental group was 0.38 times that of the time spent on the control group. Conclusion: Multimedia health education may not only enhance patients’ self-injection skills but also save on human resources and nursing hours. The findings of this study may provide references for healthcare providers in educating patients with diabetes regarding self-administering insulin pen injections.