"Diabetes 360" Survey Shows Patients Want More Than Medicine, Need Emotional Support

PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 new survey. More comprehensive care is needed in nearly every aspect of surveyed patients' lives and these survey findings should serve as a call-to-action for the diabetes community to come together to find holistic care solutions that meet patients' most pressing challenges.

Diabetes 360 — a Novo Nordisk-sponsored survey conducted nationwide of 1,200 patients with diabetes and ~500 healthcare professionals (HCPs) — analyzed the concerns and key needs of both patients and HCPs. Importantly, the survey draws attention to the need for more robust health coverage and resources to account for the emotional and wellness needs of patients. People living with diabetes need tailored resources to lead more productive and fulfilling lives — and collaborative care is needed across the diabetes community to help improve disease and lifestyle management.

Among the top findings¹:

• A little more than half (56%) of HCPs surveyed asked their patients how diabetes impacted their personal lives.

• Nearly half (45%) of HCPs surveyed say that their success in caring for people with diabetes depends largely on their ability to understand and manage the emotional issues their patients face.

• 42% of patients surveyed say they feel guilty or anxious when they get off track with their diabetes management.

• 32% of patients surveyed say that they feel overwhelmed by their diabetes.

• 30% of patients surveyed believe that diabetes is taking 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," said Todd Hobbs, MD, 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. We ask that everyone in the diabetes community also consider these challenges."

Not unexpected were findings on affordability, with two-thirds of HCPs believing access to new medicines should be improved. Approximately half (51 percent) of patients wanted medications to be more affordable. In addition, twenty-two percent reported difficulty in paying for their diabetes medications, and 8 percent of patients reported not filling their medication prescription due to cost.¹

Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the US² and can lead to poor quality of life and a host of dangerous and potentially fatal complications, such as heart disease, blindness and amputations.

The survey, conducted by Research Partnership, an independent healthcare market research and consulting agency, and sponsored by Novo Nordisk, a global leader in diabetes care, uncovered that people living with diabetes believe they are psychologically impacted by the disease¹. Furthermore, most HCPs do not feel empowered to provide their patients with the tools they need to manage their emotional burdens – resulting in a diminished quality of care¹.

Diabetes 360 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 (DAWN) – a global partnership initiative for the advancement of patient-centered diabetes care. Novo Nordisk is committed to understanding and meeting patients' needs on an ongoing basis. The goal of Diabetes 360 is to strengthen collaboration across the diabetes community to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives.

About Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk is a global health care company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to help people defeat other serious chronic conditions: hemophilia, growth disorders and obesity. With U.S. headquarters in Plainsboro, N.J., Novo Nordisk Inc. has nearly 5,000 employees in the United States. For more information, visit novonordisk.us or follow us on Twitter: @novonordiskus.

References
1. Research Partnership. Diabetes 360 Research. 2017. Data on file.
2. American Diabetes Association. Statistics about Diabetes. Washington, DC. 2017.

SOURCE Novo Nordisk

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