Use of Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire in Diabetes Care: Importance of Patient-Reported Outcomes

Abstract

The efficacy of diabetes treatment should not be evaluated solely by HbA1c levels as they should also focus on patient-reported outcomes (PROs), such as patient satisfaction, wellbeing and quality of life. The Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ) has been developed to assess patient satisfaction with diabetes treatment. DTSQ has been translated into more than 100 languages and is widely used in many countries, since it is relatively easy to answer and is used for both patients with and without medical therapy. Novel therapeutic options, such as insulin analogs, incretin-based therapy and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, have been shown to improve patient satisfaction using DTSQ for assessments. DTSQ is not only used for comparisons between different medications or treatment strategies, but also can be used to assess the quality of diabetes care in clinical settings. This is important as an improvement in treatment satisfaction may enhance patients’ self-efficacy and adherence to therapy, leading to the achievement of long-term stable glycemic control and reduced risk of diabetic complications. In this review, we summarize the current topics in DTSQ, introducing our own experience, and discuss the role of PROs in diabetes treatment.

Improved treatment satisfaction in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with once‐weekly semaglutide in the SUSTAIN trials

“…31 The DTSQ was used as it is a validated tool for measuring treatment satisfaction in patients with diabetes. 13 In SUSTAIN 7, an open-label trial 24 in which patients administered treatment with a multi-use pen device without a hidden needle for semaglutide or a single-use pen with a hidden needle for dulaglutide, changes in overall treatment satisfaction were similar for both treatments. Previous studies have shown a preference for the dulaglutide device when compared with devices similar to that used with semaglutide.…”

Impact of Switching from Twice-Daily Basal Insulin to Once-Daily Insulin Glargine 300 U/mL in People with Type 1 Diabetes on Basal–Bolus Insulin: Phase 4 OPTIMIZE Study

“…There is limited evidence of improvement in treatment satisfaction being associated with improved feelings of self-efficacy and better treatment adherence [20]. Certainly, there appears to be a link between higher treatment satisfaction and lower treatment dropout [20]. While the 24-week follow-up in OPTIMIZE is short for assessing treatment compliance, a low level of dropout was observed in this study (one discontinuation and one for minor protocol deviations).…”

“…Given the lower blood glucose peak postbreakfast with Gla-300 OD at 6 months versus baseline, there was a smaller drop in blood glucose levels post-breakfast to pre-lunch, which may have contributed to the hyperglycaemia perception DTSQs scores. There is limited evidence of improvement in treatment satisfaction being associated with improved feelings of self-efficacy and better treatment adherence [20]. Certainly, there appears to be a link between higher treatment satisfaction and lower treatment dropout [20].…”

“…HbA 1c was measured at the study site laboratory using a National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program method at entry in run-in period (visit 0, week 4), baseline (visit 1, day 1), visit 2 (week 12) and visit 3 (week 24; final primary endpoint assessment visit). Telephone calls were scheduled at weeks 1,2,3,4,6,8,10,16,20 and during the week following the end of treatment (week 25), to assist with insulin titration, assess hypoglycaemia and any other adverse events (AEs), discuss concomitant medications and confirm compliance. The study was conducted in accordance with international ethical guidelines, including the Declaration of Helsinki, and the International Conference on Harmonisation guidelines for Good Clinical Practice, all applicable laws, rules, and regulations.…”

Assessment of Patient Satisfaction in a Military and Public Hospital: A Comparative Study

“…There are many benefits associated with increased patient satisfaction levels, including but not limited to: increased compliance to medication, improved interpersonal relations and productivity, increased patient loyalty, enhanced market share of hospitals, and decreased malpractice claims [5][6][7][8].…”