OBJECTIVES: New molecules have been designed for once weekly administration of basal insulin. Health state utility values will be needed as inputs for cost-effectiveness modeling which compares the value of these new treatments to daily basal insulin. The purpose of this study was to estimate utility differences between daily and weekly basal insulin administration based on preferences of individuals with type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODS: Participants with T1D and T2D in the UK provided preferences for health state vignettes on a 7-point rating scale and in time trade-off (TTO) interviews to estimate utilities. Participants with T1D valued health state vignettes describing treatment with injectable mealtime insulin and basal insulin administered either once daily or once weekly. Participants with T2D valued vignettes describing treatment with oral medication alone and oral in conjunction with basal insulin administered daily or weekly.

RESULTS: The sample included 86 participants with T1D (55.8% female; mean age = 36.6 years) and 203 with T2D (48.3% female; mean age = 55.1 years). Among participants with T1D, 79.1% preferred weekly over daily basal insulin, including 47.7% with a strong preference. Weekly insulin (0.875) was associated with a greater utility than daily basal insulin (0.870) (difference = 0.005; p<0.05). Weekly basal insulin was also preferred over daily by most participants with T2D (96.1%), with 73.4% reporting a strong preference. Among participants with T2D, weekly insulin (0.858) was associated with a greater utility than daily basal insulin (0.841) (difference = 0.017; p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: Weekly basal insulin was generally preferred over daily basal insulin by respondents with both T1D and T2D, although some preferred daily basal insulin. The resulting utilities may be useful in cost-effectiveness models evaluating weekly basal insulin treatment for T1D and T2D.