Evaluating Active and Passive Safety Pen Needles: Insights from Recent Studies
The future of safety starts with active solutions
A groundbreaking 12-month nurse-led feasibility study, recently published in the American Journal of Nursing1, has shed light on the advantages of using active safety pen needle devices over passive ones in a pediatric population. This peer-reviewed research aimed to evaluate the safety, ease of use, ease, and accuracy of insulin delivery, as well as the ease of teaching these devices to patients and caregivers.
Conducted in a 29-bed hospital unit, the study involved 132 newly diagnosed in-patients with diabetes, all aged 21 years or younger. The patient’s medication was administered using a pen and safety pen needle. To ensure unbiased results, 55 nurses were recruited and trained on the new active safety pen needle before data collection began. Ultimately, 49 nurses completed both pre-device change and post-device change surveys, along with daily evaluations to capture their perceptions about the new active safety pen needle, and those of the patients and caregivers.
The findings, which align to those of Owen Mumford2, revealed that the majority of nurses reported overall satisfaction with the active safety pen needle. They found it easy to use and were confident in its ability to deliver the full dose of insulin. Significantly more registered nurses felt more confident and in control of dose delivery and the safety mechanism when using the active safety pen needle compared to the passive device. When asked about the balance of safety and control, at least 85% of nurses were satisfied or very satisfied with the active safety pen needle, compared to just over 45% for the passive device. Additionally, nurses found it easier to teach patients and caregivers how to use the active safety pen needle.
The study concluded that the new active safety pen needle device enabled nurses to provide safe, high-quality nursing care. Nurses expressed greater satisfaction with the active device, which addressed issues and challenges identified with passive safety pen needles. The study also highlighted the importance of education and ongoing adherence in the effective use of these devices.
For more detailed information, you can access the full study here.
Active safety pen needles provide a solution to drug administration
Tested by healthcare professionals
Designed for our users, the Unifine® SafeControl® safety needle has been tried and tested by 106 healthcare professionals1. Here's what they thought:
- 75% agree it provides them with the right balance of drug delivery safety and control throughout the injection process1.
- 92% admit to being confident that the full dose of medication has been administered1.
The majority of them acknowledged that they would prefer to use Unifine® SafeControl® if given the choice1
Referenzen
1. Project Saturn B (2017) Face-to-face interviews and product evaluations commissioned with an independent market research agency. Data on file.