Diabetes patients have to deal with many different kinds of drug-delivery products such as injection pens, auto-injectors or insulin pumps. So, it made sense that diabetics were surveyed by technology design and development firm Cambridge Consultants, in conjunction with MassMEDIC, to see what kinds of delivery devices work best for them and ensure compliance.
According to HealthCare Packaging, the survey of 240 diabetes patients "supported the idea that pharmaceutical companies could improve the market share of their drugs if the emphasis was shifted to the broader patient user experience."
Among other things, the survey found that that 77 percent would be willing to pay an extra $5 to more user-friendly devices; patients who request a change in drug delivery devices do so because of lifestyle considerations such as discretion and portability; and all health care providers believe that usability has an impact on patient medication compliance.
"The findings challenge traditional medical device industry conceptions about compliance and the patient experience," Melanie Turieo, human factors team leader at Cambridge Consultants, tells HealthCare Packaging. "The industry has been good at maximizing drug efficacy but patient experience factors have not really been a primary focus. Only now are we seeing the patient experience take center stage.
- read more about the survey in HealthCare Packaging