Half of providers tie diabetes treatment success to managing patient's emotions

PRINCETON, N.J. — Major portions of the American population with diabetes believe that their care requires much more than medicine, including emotional support and lifestyle management, and that diabetes care reimbursement needs to be broadened, according to a Novo Nordisk survey published Wednesday.



The survey, called Diabetes 360, found that nearly half (45%) of healthcare practitioners surveyed tied their success in caring for people with diabetes to their ability to understand and manage the emotional issues their patients face. As many as 42% of diabetes patients surveyed reported they feel guilty or anxious when they get off track with their diabetes management, and almost one-third of diabetes patients feel overwhelmed by their disease state. As many as 30% of patients surveyed believe that diabetes takes up too much of their mental and physical energy every day.



"In my years as both a patient and physician, I've been on all sides of the exam table. While medication is an obvious component of managing diabetes, it's only a fraction of the whole picture," stated Todd Hobbs, chief medical officer at Novo Nordisk. "It is critical to holistically understand patient needs and potential burdens, beyond just those related to their medication. And this is exactly what Novo Nordisk set out to do through the Diabetes 360 Survey. We're taking a full 360 view of patient care so we can serve their needs even better."



Not unexpected were findings on affordability, with two-thirds of HCPs believing access to new medicines should be improved. Approximately half (51%) of patients wanted medications to be more affordable. In addition, 22% reported difficulty in paying for their diabetes medications, and 8% of patients reported not filling their medication prescription due to cost.



The survey, conducted by Research Partnership, an independent healthcare market research and consulting agency, builds on Novo Nordisk's focus on addressing patient hurdles in the constantly evolving healthcare landscape, including creating new affordability options to lower out-of-pocket medicine costs. In 2001, Novo Nordisk launched Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs – a global partnership initiative for the advancement of patient-centered diabetes care.



The goal of Diabetes 360 is to strengthen collaboration across the diabetes community to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives.