Needle with a Novel Attachment Versus Conventional Screw-Thread Needles: A Preference and Usability Test Among Adults with Diabetes and Impaired Manual Dexterity

Abstract

Background: NovoTwist Ò (Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) is an insulin pen needle that features a novel attachment and detachment system. The aim of this test was to assess overall preference and handling of NovoTwist compared with conventional screw-thread needles in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Methods: One hundred twenty adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and manual dexterity dysfunction who were currently self-injecting with an insulin pen were included in this open-label, randomized, crossover test. Participants were stratified according to the impact that manual dexterity problems had on their ability to inject insulin (1 ¼ no effect at all; 4 ¼ a lot), and those rated as 1 were excluded from subanalyses because of low numbers. Following instruction, participants attached the needle to Next Generation FlexPen Ò (Novo Nordisk A/S), made an injection into a foam cushion, and detached the needle; this process was repeated three times with NovoTwist and the participant's current screw-thread needle (or NovoFine Ò [Novo Nordisk A/S]) in a random order. Responses to questions on user experience with each needle were subsequently recorded on a 6-point rating scale (1 ¼ very difficult; 6 ¼ very easy). Results: Significantly more respondents had a preference for NovoTwist (79%) compared with the conventional screw-thread needles (21%, P < 0.001). Significantly more respondents preferred NovoTwist for both ease of attachment (80%, P < 0.001) and ease of detachment (74%, P < 0.001). Most respondents found NovoTwist the most appropriate needle for performing everyday injections (71%, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Such preference by patients has a positive impact on the treatment of diabetes as NovoTwist may alleviate the burden of performing everyday injections through its ease of use.

Needle with a Novel Attachment versus Conventional Screw-Thread Needles: A Preference and Ease-of-Use Test among Children and Adolescents with Diabetes

“…This usability test showed that significantly more children and adolescents had an overall preference for NovoTwist needles compared with screw-thread needles. The findings of this study are in agreement with three other studies [12][13][14] of NovoTwist in adults, which showed that adults with diabetes preferred NovoTwist for ease of use, 12 ease of attachment, 12,13 and ease of detachment 12 compared with conventional screw-thread needles. Similarly, in this study, most children and adolescents also found NovoTwist the easiest needle to use, easier to attach, and easier to detach than screw-thread needles.…”

“…12 The participants' response to NovoTwist in this study is encouraging, as it is a novel needle attachment system that the patients had no previous experience with, compared with screw-thread needles that the patients may have used since initiating their insulin regimens. Seven out of eight parents of children who required assistance in their daily treatment stated that they would be very likely to allow their children to attach NovoTwist.…”

“…14 Furthermore, in a test of the usability of NovoTwist in adults with manual dexterity impairment, significantly more respondents preferred NovoTwist and most respondents found NovoTwist the most appropriate needle for performing everyday injections compared with conventional screwthread needles. 12 The participants' response to NovoTwist in this study is encouraging, as it is a novel needle attachment system that the patients had no previous experience with, compared with screw-thread needles that the patients may have used since initiating their insulin regimens. Seven out of eight parents of children who required assistance in their daily treatment stated that they would be very likely to allow their children to attach NovoTwist.…”

“…NovoTwist is attached via a bayonet fitting, where the needle is pressed down and turned a quarter of a turn, compared with the conventional screw-thread needle, which requires several turns to attach and detach the needle correctly (Figure 1). Three studies showed that adult patients found NovoTwist easier to attach 12,13 and detach 12 than other needles, and patients preferred [12][13][14] NovoTwist to conventional screw-thread needles. If preference is also improved in children and adolescents, this may also assist in greater adherence to diabetes management.…”

Simplicity, safety, and acceptability of insulin pen use versus the conventional vial/syringe device in&nbsp;patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Lebanon

“…Moreover, the simplicity of pen use is particularly important not only to older patients suffering from impaired manual dexterity and tremors, but also for younger individuals who are too busy to devote much time to their injections. 16 , 17 Insulin pens are portable, thus they offer greater flexibility in day-to-day living especially in younger patients. Lee et al in another study looked at the quality-of-life improvement when shifting to insulin pens in 65 patients.…”