Identifying patients at risk of poor asthma outcomes associated with making inhaler technique errors

Pediatric asthma inhaler technique: quality and content analysis of YouTube videos

BACKGROUND

Proper technique for using inhalers is crucial in treating pediatric asthma. YouTube offers a wide range of videos on pediatric inhaler technique, but there is a need to analyze the quality, reliability, and content of these resources.

AIMS

This study aims to analyze the quality, reliability, and content of YouTube videos on pediatric asthma inhaler techniques.

METHODS

The study has a descriptive, retrospective, and cross-sectional design. The research was conducted by searching YouTube using the "Pediatric Metered Dose Inhaler," "Pediatric Accuhaler," and "Pediatric Diskus." The video's popularity was measured using the Video Power Index. The quality and reliability of the videos were evaluated using the modified DISCERN and Global Quality Scale (GQS).

RESULTS

This study analyzed 55 YouTube videos on the pediatric inhaler technique. 19 of the videos were related to the pMDI inhaler with a spacer for tidal breathing, 14 pMDI inhaler with a spacer for single breath, and 22 diskus device. Findings show that videos demonstrating the use of pMDI devices for single breath have more reliable modified DISCERN scores. However, videos related to tidal breathing are more popular than those showing the use of diskus devices and single breath. Based on the checklist for videos on diskus devices, the steps with the highest error rates are 'Check dose counter' at 72.7% and 'Breathe out gently, away from the inhaler' at 63.6%. A moderate correlation was observed between the modified DISCERN score and the GQS.

CONCLUSIONS

While YouTube videos on the pMDI single-breath technique may be useful for pediatric patients and caregivers, it is crucial for them to receive inhaler technique education from their healthcare provider. This study's findings hold great significance for pediatric patients and caregivers, particularly those who rely on YouTube for health-related information.

Digital inhalers for asthma management

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Although digital inhaler systems for asthma management have been commercially available for over a decade, their current use in clinical practice is limited. This review outlines barriers and offers potential solutions to their implementation.

RECENT FINDINGS

Digital inhaler systems demonstrate increased controller medication adherence, decreased quick-relief medication use, and improved asthma control.

SUMMARY

Use of digital inhaler systems is supported by data from large clinical trials demonstrating improved asthma outcomes. Navigating telemedicine during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has led to advances clearing the path for increased adoption of digital inhaler systems. Progress in areas including patient education and onboarding, clinical management, coding and billing, privacy and security have facilitated implementation in clinical practice.

Asthma and Rhinitis Through the Lifespan of Nonpregnant Women

Increasingly, clinical practice guidelines advocate a precision medicine-based approach to care for asthma. This focus requires knowledge of not only different asthma phenotypes and their associated biomarkers but also sex and gender differences through the lifespan. Evidence continues to build in favor of different lifetime prevalence, clinical presentations, responses to management, and long-term prognosis of asthma. Women transition through many biological and psychosocial phases in their lives, all of which may interact with, and influence, their health and well-being. Historically, explanations have focused on hormonal effects on asthma in reproductive life, but a greater understanding of mechanisms starting before birth and changing over a lifetime is now possible, with immunologic, inflammatory, and hormonal factors playing a role. This article describes the evidence for the differences in asthma and rhinitis between men and women at different stages of life, the potential underlying mechanisms that contribute to this, and the implications for management and research. Future research studies should systematically report sex differences in asthma so that this knowledge can be used to develop a personalized approach to care, to achieve best possible outcomes for all.

Nurses in China lack knowledge of inhaler devices: A cross-sectional study

Objective: To understand the level of knowledge about inhaler devices among medical staff. Methods: This study evaluated the knowledge of inhalation therapy and the use of inhaler devices among nurses in China. We administered a new self-designed online questionnaire to 1,831 nurses. The questionnaire comprised 11 questions, including the storage location of inhaler devices, steps involved in using inhaler devices, and common errors when using various devices. Results: Among the 1,831 participants, 816(44.57%), 122(6.66%), and 893(48.77%) nurses worked in community, secondary, and tertiary hospitals, respectively. Adequate knowledge of inhaler devices was demonstrated by 20.10%, 8.20%, and 13.10% of nurses working in community, secondary, and tertiary hospitals, respectively. Of the nurses working in community hospitals, 27.70% knew the key points for using inhalers compared to 15.57% in secondary hospitals and 23.18% in tertiary hospitals (p < 0.01). Only 9.50%-26.00% of participants chose correct answers to the 9 questions about the use of inhalers. The accuracy rate of the responses was generally low, and the highest accuracy rate was 26.00%. Conclusion: Knowledge of inhalation therapy was better among nurses working in community hospitals than among those working in high-level hospitals. This is because of the clearer division of work and higher workload in high-level hospitals. Overall, nurses' knowledge of inhalation therapy is low. Furthermore, knowledge about inhaler devices should be strengthened among nurses in Chinese hospitals. It is necessary to create training opportunities for nurses in China to increase their awareness and knowledge regarding the management of chronic respiratory diseases.

Evaluation of real-life data on the use of inhaler devices, including satisfaction and adherence to treatment, by community pharmacists in partnership with pulmonary disease specialists

OBJECTIVE

The use of inhaler device (UID) and the satisfaction and adherence of patients to treatment were evaluated by Istanbul city community pharmacists to obtain real-life data from patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS

Pharmacists educated by pulmonary disease specialists asked patients who combined medications with inhaler devices to fill out a questionnaire prepared by the specialists. Each patient's UID was checked, and their errors were corrected by showing them the already prepared standard video of their inhaler device. Afterward, the UID was repeated and rechecked. The visual analog scale (VAS), feeling of satisfaction with the inhaler (FSI-10) questionnaire, and the Morisky Green Levine (MGL) scale were used for symptom control, satisfaction, and adherence, respectively. Then, we compared the results of three different types of inhalers: metered dose inhalers (MDI), dry powder inhalers (DPI), and dry powder inhalation capsules (DPI Caps).

RESULTS

Twenty-seven (19.3%) patients used MDI, 42 (30%) used DPI caps, and 71 (50.7%) used DPI. UID before training was better in patients with DPI than in those with MDI and DPI Cap (p < 0.001). After training, the UID increased in all three groups (p < 0.001). The VAS scores were high in the DPI Caps group than the other groups (p < 0.001). The FSI-10 score was not significantly different among the groups (p > 0.05). Full-adherence was observed in 36.8% of the MDI group, 39.1% of the DPI Caps group, and 21.7% of the DPI groups (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The partnership between community pharmacists and pulmonary disease specialists improved patients' UID.

Impact of Sex on Proper Use of Inhaler Devices in Asthma and COPD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Despite females being more often affected by asthma than males and the prevalence of COPD rising in females, conflicting evidence exists as to whether sex may modulate the correct inhaler technique. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of sex on the proper use of inhaler devices in asthma and COPD. A pairwise meta-analysis was performed on studies enrolling adult males and females with asthma or COPD and reporting data of patients making at least one error by inhaler device type (DPI, MDI, and SMI). The data of 6,571 patients with asthma or COPD were extracted from 12 studies. A moderate quality of evidence (GRADE +++) indicated that sex may influence the correct use of inhaler device in both asthma and COPD. The critical error rate was higher in females with asthma (OR 1.31, 95%CI 1.14−1.50) and COPD (OR 1.80, 95%CI 1.22−2.67) using DPI vs. males (p < 0.01). In addition, the use of SMI in COPD was associated with a greater rate of critical errors in females vs. males (OR 5.36, 95%CI 1.48−19.32; p < 0.05). No significant difference resulted for MDI. In conclusion, choosing the right inhaler device in agreement with sex may optimize the pharmacological treatment of asthma and COPD.

Cigarette Smoking and Asthma

Globally, around half the adult asthma population are current or former cigarette smokers. Cigarette smoking and asthma interact to induce an "asthma-smoking phenotype(s)," which has important implications for diagnosis, pathogenic mechanisms, and management. The lack of progress in understanding the effects of smoking on adults with asthma is due in part to their exclusion from most investigative studies and large clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the adverse clinical outcomes associated with cigarette smoking in asthma, highlight challenges in diagnosing asthma among cigarette smokers with chronic respiratory symptoms, particularly in older individuals with a long-standing smoking history, and review pathogenic mechanisms involving smoking- and asthma-related airway inflammation, tissue remodeling, corticosteroid insensitivity, and low-grade systemic inflammation. We discuss the key components of management including the importance of smoking cessation strategies, evidence for the effectiveness of the Global Initiative for Asthma recommendations on treatment in cigarette smokers, and the role of treatable traits such as type 2 eosinophilic airway inflammation. Lastly, we provide an algorithm to aid clinicians to manage current and former smokers with asthma. In the future, controlled and pragmatic trials in real-world populations should include cigarette smokers with asthma to provide an evidence base for treatment recommendations.

The Inhaler Technique Questionnaire (InTeQ): Development and Validation of a Brief Patient-Reported Measure

There is a need for instruments designed for patients with asthma to self-report their performance of inhaling steps. We aimed to develop an accessible and easy-to-use patient-reported tool for inhaler technique assessment, which could also serve as a training and monitoring resource for any type of inhaler device, and to evaluate its feasibility, validity, and reliability in adults with asthma. The development was based on literature review and pilot testing with clinicians and patients. The Inhaler Technique Questionnaire (InTeQ) asks about the frequency of performing five steps when using inhalers (on a five-point Likert scale). We analyzed data from adults with persistent asthma (n = 361). We examined the measurement model using Mokken scaling analysis, construct validity by assessing hypotheses on expected discrimination among known groups, and reliability based on internal consistency and reproducibility. Means of the InTeQ items were in the range of 0.23–1.61, and coefficients of homogeneity were above the cutoff point, demonstrating the unidimensionality of the scale. Known groups’ global score differences were statistically significant between patients reporting having “Discussed in detail” or having “Not discussed/Only in general” the inhaler technique with their healthcare providers (p = 0.023). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.716, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.775. The InTeQ is a feasible, valid, and reliable instrument for self-reporting inhaler technique on any type of device.

The Relationship Between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Self-Management Behaviors in World Trade Center Workers with Asthma

BACKGROUND

Comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly prevalent and associated with increased morbidity among World Trade Center (WTC) rescue and recovery workers with asthma. However, the potential behavioral pathways underlying this relationship remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether PTSD is associated with lower adherence to asthma self-management behaviors among WTC workers with asthma.

METHODS

We used data from a prospective cohort of WTC workers with a physician diagnosis of asthma who were prescribed controller medications. Presence of comorbid PTSD was determined based on structured clinical interviews. Asthma self-management behaviors included medication adherence, inhaler technique, use of action plans, and trigger avoidance. We conducted unadjusted and multiple regression analyses to evaluate the association of PTSD with asthma self-management.

RESULTS

Overall, 30% of 276 WTC workers with asthma had comorbid PTSD. Posttraumatic stress disorder was associated with worse asthma control and poorer quality of life. However, PTSD was not significantly associated with medication adherence (odds ratio [OR] -0.15; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.5 to 0.2), inhaler technique (OR -0.12; 95% CI -0.7 to 0.5), use of action plans (OR 0.8; 95% CI 0.4 to 1.8), or trigger avoidance (OR 0.9; 95% CI 0.4 to 1.8).

CONCLUSIONS

We did not find significant differences in key asthma self-management behaviors between WTC workers with and without PTSD. These results suggest that other mechanisms, such as differences in symptom perception or inflammatory pathways, may explain the association between PTSD and increased asthma morbidity.

What can be done to impact respiratory inhaler misuse: exploring the problem, reasons, and solutions

INTRODUCTION

Respiratory inhalers, when used correctly, provide critical treatments for managing pulmonary conditions. However, many patients misuse inhalers, negatively affecting disease control, quality of life, healthcare utilization, and costs. Numerous factors are associated with misuse and are nested within four levels of influence: individual, interpersonal, organizational/institutional, and policy.

AREAS COVERED

This review analyzed published literature and identified the most salient factors at each socio-ecological framework level. English language articles from any year were identified from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase databases. Misuse exists across clinical settings, patient populations, and device types. Several potential solutions are highlighted. Published interventions to improve inhaler technique have utilized handouts, in-person, virtual, and biofeedback approaches both inside and outside of healthcare settings with varied effectiveness. However, some interventions have superior effectiveness for improving technique and reducing acute care utilization.

EXPERT OPINION

To robustly address inhaler misuse, future solutions should focus on multi-level approaches to account for the myriad of factors contributing to inhaler misuse. Solutions should also streamline inhaler equipment, identify innovative technology-based solutions, support collaborations across healthcare and non-healthcare settings, and ensure reimbursement to healthcare professionals for inhaler education. Rigorous research studies must be funded and supported to identify and disseminate solutions.