The Effect of a Checklist on the Education of Simulated Patients During Insulin Initiation: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing worldwide with a disproportionate increase in developing countries [1]. The burden is tremendous in developing countries, where the greatest increases are expected over time. For example, the prevalence of diabetes in adults in the North American and the Caribbean region is expected to increase by 37% in 2035. However, the increase in Africa and South and Central America over the same time period is expected to be 109% and 60% respectively[1].

This crisis is further compounded by the demand on financial resources placed by the high cost of care. Estimated costs of diabetes care reached $239.2 billion United Sates Dollars (USD) in 2013 in The North American and Caribbean region[2]. Abdulkadri et al estimated the economic cost of both diabetes and hypertension in four Caribbean countries (Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and The Bahamas) in 2001 to be 753 million USD per year[3].

The management of type 2 diabetes has evolved from an algorithmic approach[4], towards individualized care[5, 6], but affordability limits treatment options in many developing countries. The evolution was driven by the increased availability of drugs used in diabetes treatment. However, drug availability has not equally penetrated the developed and developing world due to cost. Insulin in its cheapest forms (animal or human administered by a syringe) therefore remains critical in the management of diabetes in the developing world given its lower cost and greater efficacy. For example, Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors cost approximately twice that of a month's supply of syringe delivered, intermediate human insulin, at a dose of 40 units daily. However, the potential reduction of HbA1C is 0.5-0.8% with DPP-4 inhibitors but as much as 3.5% with insulin titration[7]. Even in the developed world, the global financial crisis may result in similar shifts in lower income groups.

It is therefore critical for healthcare professionals to know how to safely initiate insulin. For insulin to be safely used, particularly by the needle and syringe method, healthcare professionals must adequately educate patients in a number of areas. These areas include side effects, drawing up and administration of insulin, and the recognition and treatment of hypoglycaemia. Given the complexity of the task all areas may not be recalled by health care professionals during a patient encounter.

The task of insulin initiation can be simplified through the use of a checklist. Ely and colleagues believe that checklists are an alternative to reliance on memory and reduce diagnostic errors[8]. Depending solely on recall is likely to open the gateway for omissions, particularly given that there is poor representation of structured teaching on insulin initiation during undergraduate medical training. An insulin initiation checklist can also simultaneously provide education for the healthcare professionals using insulin.