Treatment burden and perceptions of glucose-lowering therapy among people living with diabetes

Aims: Address treatment burden and general perceptions of pharmacological treatment in patients with diabetes. Methods: We surveyed adult patients with diabetes cared for in a tertiary academic medical center about: i) knowledge about the impact of glucose-lowering medication use on diabetes control and complications, ii) common beliefs about natural medicine and insulin use, iii) attitudes towards glucose-lowering medications, iv) burden of treatment, v) general knowledge of diabetes pharmacological treatment, and vi) perceptions of shared decision-making. Results: Two hundred-four participants completed the survey. While most (90%) agreed that adherence to medication would control diabetes and improve quality of life, 30–40% were not certain that it would translate to fewer disease complications. About one of three thought medications could be harmful (29.4%). Over 50% agreed or was unsure that natural remedies were as good/better than prescribed medications. About 30% acknowledged difficulties taking their diabetes medications and monitoring blood glucose, and over 50% were concerned about treatment costs. Nearly 30% denied receiving a detailed explanation from their clinician regarding their disease and is treatment. Conclusions: Our results highlight the importance of patient education regarding pharmacological treatment for diabetes, and eliciting sources of distress and treatment burden among patients with diabetes.