Therapeutic inertia amongst general practitioners with interest in diabetes.

Introduction: As the therapeutic options in the management of type 2 diabetes increase, there is an increase confusion among health care professionals, thus leading to the phenomenon of therapeutic inertia. This is the failure to escalate or de-escalate treatment when the clinical need for this is required. It has been studied extensively in various settings, however, it has never been reported in any studies focusing solely on primary care physicians with an interest in diabetes.

Clinical inertia to insulin initiation and intensification in the UK: A focused literature review.

Achieving tight glycaemic control early following the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is key to optimising clinical outcomes, yet many patients and clinicians are reluctant to initiate and intensify insulin therapy. Reasons for this arise primarily from a lack of time, clinical expertise and patient understanding. However, meaningful progress can be achieved with self-management educational programmes soon after diagnosis.