Socioeconomic inequalities in insulin initiation among individuals with type 2 diabetes - A quasi-experimental nationwide register study

Background: Inequalities in access to care can translate to or strengthen existing inequalities in health if people of lower socioeconomic positions do not have equal access to care. I study insulin initiation among individuals with type 2 diabetes and examine whether a reform increasing the co-payment of non-insulin antidiabetics in Finland in 2017 had an inequitable effect on the initiation. In the treatment of type 2 diabetes, insulin is recommended only in later stages and remains covered by the National Health Insurance at a rate of 100%.Data and methods: I evaluated the effect of the reform with Cox proportional hazard modelling using nationwide person-level register data from 2011 to 2019. Exploiting a quasi-experimental design rising from the introduction of the reform allows for consideration of causality.Results: I found that the risk of insulin initiation was lower in the later years of the study period. Additionally, individuals in lower socioeconomic positions had a higher risk of initiation. However, I did not find inequalities in how the reform affected the risk of insulin initiation between income quintiles.Conclusions: Co-payments are unlikely to be the most influential factor behind persisting inequalities in insulin initiation among individuals with type 2 diabetes in Finland. Lower risk in the later years aligns with developing treatment practices of type 2 diabetes.

Automated summary

This study examines the effects of a reform on insulin initiation among individuals with type 2 diabetes in Finland. The findings suggest that co-payments are unlikely to be the main factor contributing to inequalities in insulin initiation, with lower risk observed in the later years aligning with evolving treatment practices.