Barriers and Facilitators for Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor Uptake and Implementation in Australia - Perspectives From Clinicians and Patients: An Interview Study.

Abstract

Background: While sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors provide major benefits across multiple chronic diseases, clinician prescription and patient adherence rates remain low.

Objective: To explore perspectives of clinician and patient stakeholders regarding barriers and facilitators for SGLT2 inhibitor use.

Design: Semi-structured interviews, conducted as part of a larger project examining the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) standard of care.

Setting: Australia.

Participants: Clinicians involved in the care of people with T2DM, including primary care clinicians, endocrinologists, nephrologists, cardiologists, diabetes educators, and pharmacists; and adults with T2DM.

Methods: Barriers and facilitators of SGLT2 inhibitor implementation were explored through the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Analysis of interview transcripts was conducted in duplicate using a combination of framework and thematic analysis.

Results: A total of 24 clinicians, and four people with T2DM, were interviewed between November 2021 and August 2023, including four primary care clinicians, four endocrinologists, four nephrologists, four cardiologists, four diabetes educators, and four pharmacists. Key findings included that clinicians miss opportunities to prescribe due to competing priorities and therapeutic inertia, and may find it difficult to educate and engage patients about SGLT2 inhibitor use. Patients require detailed education to understand benefits and adverse effect prevention, ideally with multimodal resources and staggered over time, and would benefit from general adherence coaching. Some clinicians were concerned about the risk of urinary tract infections despite reassuring safety data, and few provided genital hygiene advice to reduce SGLT2 inhibitor-associated genital mycotic infections. Better health system support could be achieved through additional cost reimbursement and support for multidisciplinary care access.

Limitations: Most participants were from a single Australian state, New South Wales, which may not fully reflect experiences across Australia. Participation bias may under-represent those less engaged in SGLT2 inhibitor use.

Conclusions: Clinicians are convinced about SGLT2 inhibitor benefits but require support to deliver evidence-based care, including effective patient education and engagement. These insights can help inform the design of interventions to maximise societal benefit from these effective medications.