Table 1.
Recommended topics for diabetes educators Education about injection technique for delivery of insulin, including a review of hypoglycaemia (causes, detection, treatment and prevention) as well as when to check blood glucose and individualised pre- and post-meal targets Periodic review of injection technique and sites, especially when blood glucose control is suboptimal Use, care and action of the medications(s) to be administered Choice of injection devices, considering ease of use and patient limitations including cost, manual dexterity, hearing and visual impairment For pre-filled devices, considering opened expiration date, total number of units/mg in device and daily dose when choosing devices, when applicable Injection site selection and rotation, including teaching patient to examine sites for lipohypertrophy Choice of needle: length and gauge to maximise comfort and efficiency Technique Timing of injection, related to the effect of the medication, meals, activity and stressors Targets for dosing adjustments related to monitoring, activity stressors, and meals Injection discomfort and complications Safe disposal of used sharps Quality control including medication storage considerations, opened and unopened expiration dates Inspection of the injectable medication before each use |