Digital Insulin Management in Type 2 Diabetes: Enhancing Treatment Adherence and Safety with Connected Pens and IDegAsp

Güngör Semiz G., Demir Yüksel B., Emekdaş B., Arayıcı M. E., Çetinkaya F., Demir T.

Eurasian Journal of Medical Investigation , cilt.10, sa.3, ss.369-377, 2026 (TRDizin)

Özet

Objectives: Poor adherence and therapeutic inertia limit the success of insulin therapy in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). There is a lack of real-world evidence on connected pens addressing these barriers in T2DM. We investigated the clinical impact of integrating the NovoPen 6 smart pen with insulin degludec/aspart (IDegAsp) on treatment intensity, metabolic control, and hypoglycemia in a T2DM cohort. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective observational study included 67 patients with T2DM (median age, 65 years; diabetes duration, 15 years), divided into two groups: those who added a smart pen to ongoing IDegAsp (“digital switch,” n=46) and those who transitioned from conventional insulins (“combined switch,” n=21). Parameters were evaluated over a median follow-up of 18 months. Results: Smart pen integration significantly optimized treatment intensity across both groups. The “digital switch” cohort maintained stable metabolic control while significantly reducing total daily insulin doses (p=0.018). The “combined switch” group achieved a simplified transition with a significant decrease in daily injection frequency. Hypoglycemia rates did not differ between the subgroups. Conclusion: Integrating smart insulin pens into T2DM management optimizes dosing accuracy and reduces treatment burden without increasing hypoglycemia, serving as an essential tool for overcoming clinical inertia.