4 GETTING TO THE POINT
DSN Amanda Epps talks about her involvement with BD's Forum for
Injection Technique (FIT).
ost people who don't need
to inject have a basic
understanding of the
process. While everyone is likely to
have had an injection at some point
in their lives, understandably,
people can be fearful of having an
injection. They can't comprehend
what it's like to have to inject
yourself multiple times daily, as you
would if you were diagnosed with
Type 1 diabetes. Often people with
Type 2 diabetes can find moving
onto insulin to be very frightening.
Even though it may be necessary to
make the move, sometimes people
are reluctant to do so through fear
of injecting, hypos, and the need for
more frequent blood testing. Insulin
can sometimes make the person
with Type 2 diabetes feel like they
have failed at managing their
condition with diet and exercise,
however, it is important that we
remind them that for some people,
unfortunately, moving to insulin can
be a natural progression due to the
progressive nature of Type 2
diabetes and the depletion of beta-
cell function over time.
The move to insulin can be
overwhelming, however, there have
been many advances in diabetes
consumables over the years - gone
are the days that we ask people to
sharpen and reuse their needles.
Now we use very fine disposable
4mm needles for injections which
when shown to a person with
diabetes this can alleviate some of
the fears associated with starting
insulin.
With its heritage in the diabetes
sector, BD has decades of
experience designing and refining
syringes and needles. They've done
this based on research, asking
people with diabetes what they
thought of the products - and what
they lacked. From that, BD has also
gathered an extraordinary amount
of information about how to inject
well. This knowledge is now being
used to educate healthcare
professionals as well as people with
diabetes.
I have been part of BD's Forum for
Injection Technique (FIT), which was
assembled to assess the information
gathered from research and put into
educational brochures. As a mother
of a child with diabetes, it was lovely
to experience the depth of
knowledge and sincerity of those
working to improve the lives of
people living with the condition
day-to-day.
M
" BD has decades
of experience
designing and
refining syringes
and needles"
Download BD's Injection Technique Guide
from www.bd.com/bd-uk