Educational Resources for Patients

Starting Insulin - a patient guide

Insulin handouts

A series of 10 handouts for patients starting insulin.

With the growing number of people affected by diabetes and moving from oral medication to insulin, the Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation, in collaboration with the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, has developed a series of 10 patient handouts for patients starting insulin. These are free for clinicians and patients.

The series is available in low literacy or easy to read (6th to 8th grade level) and very low literacy or very easy to read (3rd to 5th grade level), in both English and Spanish.

English low literacy (6th to 8th grade level)

Download the whole series (zip)

  1. Using Insulin to Treat your Diabetes: What It Means for You (pdf)
  2. About Insulin (pdf)
  3. Insulin Syringes and Pens (pdf)
  4. Injecting Insulin (pdf)
  5. Needle Safety (pdf)
  6. Managing Daily Doses of Insulin (pdf)
  7. Measuring Your Blood Sugar (pdf)
  8. Tracking Blood Sugar Results (pdf)
  9. Diet & Exercise (pdf)
  10. Travel Tips (pdf)

English very low literacy (3rd to 5th grade level)

Download the whole series (zip)

  1. Using Insulin to Treat your Diabetes: What It Means for You (pdf)
  2. About Insulin (pdf)
  3. Insulin Syringes and Pens (pdf)
  4. Injecting Insulin (pdf)
  5. Needle Safety (pdf)
  6. Managing Daily Doses of Insulin (pdf)
  7. Measuring Your Blood Sugar (pdf)
  8. Tracking Blood Sugar Results (pdf)
  9. Diet & Exercise (pdf)
  10. Travel Tips (pdf)

Spanish low literacy (6th to 8th grade level)

Download the whole series (zip)

  1. Uso de la insulina para tratar su diabetes: Qué significa para usted (pdf)
  2. Acerca de la insulina (pdf)
  3. Jeringas y plumas para insulina (pdf)
  4. Inyección de la insulina (pdf)
  5. Seguridad de las agujas (pdf)
  6. Control de las dosis diarias de insulina (pdf)
  7. Cómo medir su nivel de azúcar en la sangre (pdf)
  8. Seguimiento de los resultados de azúcar en la sangre (pdf)
  9. Dieta y ejercicio (pdf)
  10. Consejos para viajes (pdf)

Spanish very low literacy (3rd to 5th grade level)

Download the whole series (zip)

  1. Uso de la insulina para tratar su diabetes: Qué significa para usted (pdf)
  2. Acerca de la insulina (pdf)
  3. Jeringas y plumas para insulina (pdf)
  4. Inyección de la insulina (pdf)
  5. Seguridad de las agujas (pdf)
  6. Control de las dosis diarias de insulina (pdf)
  7. Cómo medir su nivel de azúcar en la sangre (pdf)
  8. Seguimiento de los resultados de azúcar en la sangre (pdf)
  9. Dieta y ejercicio (pdf)
  10. Consejos para viajes (pdf)

If you have any questions please contact Fiona Shannon at fiona@nphealthcarefoundation.org.

Developed by the Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation and the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved and supported by Nipro Diagnostics, Inc through an educational grant.