[Reducing the incidence of needlestick injuries due to insulin pen injectors among self-users in the outpatient clinic setting].

Background & Problem: The rising number of people practicing insulin self-injection at home has led to increasing numbers of needlestick injuries due to inadequate self-injection skills among these patients. To reduce needlestick injuries at home, patients should not recap needles and should adopt proper needle disposal practices. A random survey of 80 outpatients currently using insulin pen injectors at home conducted between February and April 2012 found that 70% self-reported suffering needlestick incidents. Data analysis indicated the principal causes of these incidents were the lack of standard operating procedures, the absence of educational training, the shortage of educational instruction sheets for patients, and the inadequate skills and tools available to patients for disposing of needles safely at home.

Purpose: The aim of this project was to decrease the needlestick incidence rate for outpatients that use insulin pen injectors in order to increase overall patient safety.

Resolution: The project team established a pen injector standard operation procedure (SOP), conducted an educational training program, developed nursing instruction sheets for patients, designed and distributed needle disposal containers to patients, and taught patients the correct techniques for the disposing of needles at home.

Results: The needlestick incidence rate decreased from 70% pretest to 2.6% following implementation of the abovementioned measures.

Conclusions: This project effectively reduced the needlestick rate attributable to insulin pen injectors. The authors hope that other departments will adopt this approach in order to improve patient safety.