Prevalence and predictors of clinical inertia in patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated with a single oral antidiabetic drug

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Clinical inertia, defined as a failure of healthcare providers to initiate or intensify treatment when indicated, is one of the challenges in achieving glycemic targets in type 2 diabetes patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a Japanese medical database compiled from Diagnostic Procedure Combination hospitals, this retrospective study investigated clinical inertia in type 2 diabetes patients treated with a single oral antidiabetic drug. We analyzed predictors of clinical inertia, measured the time to treatment intensification, and monitored patients' glycemic control and renal function for 2 years. The index date was defined as the first date of hemoglobin A1c ≥7.0% during the 180 (±60) days after the first oral antidiabetic drug was prescribed. RESULTS: Clinical inertia was identified in 35.3% of patients. The median time to treatment intensification from the index date was 75.5 days. The proportion of patients achieving hemoglobin A1c <7.0% within 2 years was 33.8% with clinical inertia, and 47.9% without clinical inertia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that Charlson Comorbidity Index score and an interval between visits of ≥6 weeks significantly increased the risk of developing clinical inertia, and hyperlipidemia and higher hemoglobin A1c at baseline significantly decreased the risk. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that clinical inertia in type 2 diabetes patients treated with a single oral antidiabetic drug might have a lasting effect on long‐term glycemic control. Our findings will inform clinicians of the characteristics of patients associated with clinical inertia and the importance of providing appropriate treatment under clinical practice guidelines.