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Cited by 15Diabetes Treatment and ManagementPharmacology and Obesity TreatmentDiabetes Management and Education

What Are the Experiences, Views and Perceptions of Patients, Carers and Clinicians of Glucagon‐like Peptide‐1 Receptor Agonists (GLP‐1 RAs)? A Scoping Review

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Febrey, Sam, Nunns, Michael, Buckland, Jill, Abbott, Rebecca, Bethel, Alison, Whear, Rebecca, Boddy, Kate, Melendez‐Torres, G. J. +2 more·2025·Health Expectations
DOI 10.1111/hex.70251PMC PMC11995417
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Abstract

Background: Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1 RAs) are a pharmacological treatment option for both diabetes and weight loss. Qualitative evidence is vital in providing greater understanding of patients, practitioners and carers experience of taking or delivering GLP‐1 RAs. This evidence can inform the current or future configuration and delivery of services. We conducted a scoping review to better understand the quantity, nature and key characteristics of qualitative primary evidence which explores the experiences, views and perceptions of patients, carers and clinicians regarding the use of GLP‐1 RAs. Methods: Four bibliographic databases were searched on 10 July 2024: MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo via Ovid, CINAHL Ultimate via EBSCOhost, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global via ProQuest. We also searched Google Scholar, two clinical trials registries, the pre‐print server medRxiv and conducted citation searches. We sought qualitative research about the experiences of patients, carers and practitioners about any aspect of taking or prescribing GLP‐1RAs, for any indication. Study selection and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. The included studies were collated, and their characteristics were described. Results: After de‐duplication 1545 titles and abstracts were screened for relevance, with 77 full‐text articles assessed for eligibility, resulting in 25 included studies. More studies were focused on type 2 diabetes ( n = 12) than weight loss ( n = 9) or any indication ( n = 4). The experiences of carers were not represented. No one area of experience (e.g. different indications or viewpoints) was well represented, either due to the absence or narrow focus of studies or lack of an in‐depth analytical approach. Conclusion: Whilst primary qualitative evidence exploring patient and clinician experience of GLP‐1 RAs was identified in this scoping review, the findings highlight a need for more robust qualitative research to be conducted across all user groups, in particular involving carers, and especially for the indication of weight loss within service settings. This evidence gap needs to be urgently addressed to ensure GLP‐1 RAs are appropriately prescribed and patients and carers receive support from services suited to their needs. Patient or Public Contribution: Seventeen public collaborators contributed to the search by suggesting additional search terms, helping define the population for inclusion and contributing to protocol development. Their thoughts on the findings of the review helped form the basis for the discussion of this paper.

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  • Cost has consistently been cited as one of the most common barriers toward initiating and continuing GLP1-RA treatment.

    “Cost has consistently been cited as one of the most common barriers toward initiating and continuing GLP1-RA treatment, though there are still limited data on GLP1-RAs used solely for weight management.75,97,106”

    From The societal implications of using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for the treatment of obesity (2025) · cites this paper as [106]

    The Results > Study Characteristics section identifies cost and insurance coverage as major barriers to accessing medication and lists high costs among challenges associated with discontinuing GLP-1 RA treatment. Results > Setting also shows that relatively few studies examined use for weight loss. The review does not establish that cost was consistently one of the most common barriers across studies to both starting and continuing treatment. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. [4]National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Semaglutide for Managing Overweight and Obesity. Technology Appraisal Guidance [TA875] (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2023), accessed 22 May 2024, https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta875. 40080622
  2. [5]National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Liraglutide for Managing Overweight and Obesity. Technology Appraisal Guidance [TA664] (London: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), 2020), accessed 22 May 2024, https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta664. 40889332
  3. [6]M. Nunns, S. Febrey, J. Buckland, et al. The Quantity, Quality and Findings of Network Meta‐Analyses Evaluating the Effectiveness of GLP‐1 RAs for Weight Loss: A Scoping Review, NIHR Journal Library Submitted for publication 2024. PMC12336958 40580049
  4. [27]M. Ekenberg, Swedish Diabetes Patients' Experiences of Using GLP‐1 Receptor Agonists (GLP‐1 RAs): A Qualitative Interview Study (Master's thesis) (Uppsala University, 2021).
  5. [30]I. Kan, Use of GLP‐1 Receptor Agonist as Weight Reducing Agents (Master's thesis), University of Utrecht, 2024.
  6. [32]J. Lennon, “ Can You Stomach It?.” A Content Analysis of TikTok Videos and Comments About Weight Loss With Ozempic (Master's thesis), (University of Chicago, 2023).
  7. [34]R. M. Paisey, Exploring the Patient Experience of Changes in Appetite and Diet With Incretin Analogue Therapy (Master's thesis), University of Plymouth, 2014.
  8. [36]A. Psarou, Type 2 Diabetes Patients and Their Body Weight: A Mixed Methods Study Investigating Beliefs, Attitudes, and Adherence to Their Medicines Over Time (Doctoral thesis), The University of Liverpool, 2017, 10.17638/03012300. · DOI

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Authors
Febrey, S., Nunns, M., Buckland, J., Abbott, R., Bethel, A., Whear, R., Boddy, K., Melendez‐Torres, G. J., Coon, J. T., & Shaw, L.
Affiliations
  • Isca Evidence, University of Exeter Medical School, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, University of Exeter St Lukes Campus, Exeter Devon UK
  • University of Exeter (GB)
ORCID
Venue
Health Expectations
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2025-04
Volume
28
Issue
2
Pages
e70251-e70251
ISSN
  • 1369-6513 (ISSN-L)
  • 1369-7625
DOI
10.1111/hex.70251
PMC
PMC11995417
OpenAlex
W4409433094
Cited by
15
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 3
FWCI
2.04
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Health Expectations (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Open Research Exeter (University of Exeter) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR153420)
  • Department of Health and Social Care
  • National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South West Peninsula
  • Evidence Synthesis Programme
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Treatment and Management
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Pharmacology and Obesity Treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Management and Education
Keywords
GLP-1 receptor agonists, patient experience, caregiver experiences, clinician experience, type 2 diabetes, weight loss, drug prescribing, medication adherence, adverse effects, patient support services, evidence gaps, citizen participation, public health policy, health disparities, healthcare workers
MeSH terms
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists, Attitude of Health Personnel, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Humans, Hypoglycemic Agents, Patients, Caregivers, Qualitative Research

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