Today I'm going to teach you how to teach a patient to give an injection. I want to make it clear that this does not need to be stressful for either you or the patient. I hear over and over again how injectable therapy is a barrier, but I do not think from a physician's perspective that this should be a barrier at all.
We should all be expert educators. I teach my patients how to give insulin and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs). I'll show you the way I do it.
The Basics
You must be prepared. Always make sure that you are sitting down and have something nearby to collect trash; a sharps container is a good idea. I make sure that I have a little table next to me like the exam table, or sometimes I just use my lap.
I'm going to demonstrate how to give liraglutide by injecting it into something that is not the patient. I bring in an orange, but you can also use fake skin products. I bring in pen needles. I make sure I'm ready, then I sit down in front of the patient.
It's good to be a little klutzy so that patients understand that you do not have to be perfect at this.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Clinical Practice Guidelines (SID/AMD, 2022)
Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
COMMENTARY
Tips for Demystifying Injections in Diabetes
Anne L. Peters, MD
DisclosuresOctober 12, 2017
Today I'm going to teach you how to teach a patient to give an injection. I want to make it clear that this does not need to be stressful for either you or the patient. I hear over and over again how injectable therapy is a barrier, but I do not think from a physician's perspective that this should be a barrier at all.
We should all be expert educators. I teach my patients how to give insulin and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs). I'll show you the way I do it.
The Basics
You must be prepared. Always make sure that you are sitting down and have something nearby to collect trash; a sharps container is a good idea. I make sure that I have a little table next to me like the exam table, or sometimes I just use my lap.
I'm going to demonstrate how to give liraglutide by injecting it into something that is not the patient. I bring in an orange, but you can also use fake skin products. I bring in pen needles. I make sure I'm ready, then I sit down in front of the patient.
It's good to be a little klutzy so that patients understand that you do not have to be perfect at this.
Medscape Diabetes © 2017 WebMD, LLC
Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Tips for Demystifying Injections in Diabetes - Medscape - Oct 12, 2017.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Author
Anne L. Peters, MD
Professor of Clinical Medicine; Director, Clinical Diabetes Programs, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Disclosure: Anne L. Peters, MD, has disclosed the following financial relationships:
Served as director, officer, partner, employee, advisor, consultant, or trustee for: (current consultant): Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; Novo Nordisk
Served as a speaker or member of a speakers bureau for: (current speakers bureau member): Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; Novo Nordisk; Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.
Served as a consultant or ad hoc speaker/consultant for: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP; Abbott Laboratories; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Dexcom; Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; Roche; sanofi-aventis