A Study on Effectiveness and Outcomes of Educational Inhaler Technique Counselling in Respiratory Department by Clinical Pharmacist

Improvement in Inhaler Techniques After Training and Counseling in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or Asthma

“…Many previous studies have indicated that individuals with higher educational levels tend to grasp inhaler techniques more effectively than those who are illiterate due to their ability to understand and follow instructions provided in the leaflets included with inhaler packaging [11,14,19]. However, this study found that patients with only primary education exhibited significant improvements in their inhaler technique following counseling (p < 0.001).…”

“…Users of MDI with a spacer displayed the most notable enhancement, with good technique observed in 80% postcounseling, up from the least pre-counseling. Thakkar et al also observed a significant increase, particularly with MDI users, where post-intervention good technique soared to 91.49% [14].…”

“…This remarkable improvement suggests that patients were able to grasp and apply the more complex aspects of DPI use with effective counseling. In comparison, the study by Thakkar et al highlighted similar challenges, particularly with Step 6, which showed the most significant improvement from 28% to 78% post-intervention, underscoring the critical role of patient education in mastering the DPI technique [14].…”

“…Comparatively, the study by Thakkar et al reported high pre-counseling adherence to these crucial steps, with subsequent post-counseling enhancements demonstrating the consistent efficacy of educational interventions [14]. Yet, it was Steps 3, 5, and 6 (breathing out gently, initiating slow inhalation while pressing the canister, and holding the breath post-inhalation) where our study observed the most dramatic improvements, from 52%, 42%, and 38% pre-counseling to 92%, 86%, and 76% post-counseling, respectively.…”

“…Each question is scored from 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating a greater impact on the patient's life. The total score ranges from 0 to 40, categorizing the impact of COPD as mild (0-10), moderate (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), severe (21-30), or very severe (31-40). The CAT score was recorded at the baseline visit and after three months of training and counseling on inhalation techniques.…”