Journal of Respiration (Sep 2022)

Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention on Inhaler Technique Proficiency in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Single-Center Quality Improvement Study

  • Marco Marando,
  • Adriana Tamburello,
  • Jens P. Diedrich,
  • Antonio Valenti,
  • Pietro Gianella

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jor2030012
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2, no. 3
pp. 139 – 146

Abstract

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Albeit inhalation therapy is the cornerstone in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment, inhaler technique is rarely evaluated, and training materials are often insufficient. In this single-center study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a teaching session complemented by a flyer on inhaler technique in COPD patients and to evaluate the perceived quality of the flyer. A total of 30 participants with stable COPD who had never used a soft mist inhaler before (Respimat®, Boehringer Ingelheim) received a brief teaching session on proper inhaler technique complemented by a flyer (visit 1). The teaching intervention was completed by a pulmonologist. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COPD were collected by a questionnaire, and the ability to properly handle the inhaler was assessed. After 14 days, inhaler handling was re-evaluated, and patients were asked to rate the flyer (visit 2). After the initial training, proper inhaler handling was achieved in 80.0% of patients. Inhaler proficiency was maintained after 14 days (83.0% of the patients used the Respimat® correctly, p-value > 0.99). The flyer was considered at least good by 27 patients (90.0%). This study indicated that the administration of an educational intervention resulted in persistent good competence in inhaler technique at a 14-day follow-up.

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