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Inhaler satisfaction improves clinical outcomes for patients with chronic asthma

Individuals with asthma who had greater satisfaction with their drug delivery inhaler device achieved more favorable clinical outcomes, according to study results.

Patients with allergic rhinitis and those with smoking history appeared associated with less optimal asthma control, results showed.

David Price, MD, of the division of applied health sciences at University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom, and colleagues performed a prospective, cross-sectional survey of 243 patients with chronic asthma and their physicians to assess the associations between patient satisfaction with inhaler devices, adherence to treatment and clinical outcomes.

Researchers also obtained information about patient demographics, asthma symptoms, treatment type, adherence to treatment, exacerbation history, comorbidities and smoking history.

Forty-one percent of the patients demonstrated poor asthma control.

Price and colleagues identified several factors that were significantly associated with more favorable clinical outcomes. They included no history of tobacco use (P < .001), greater satisfaction with drug delivery (P = .002), greater adherence to medication (P = .049) and lack of allergic rhinitis symptoms (P = .005).

The researchers also determined several factors that influenced patient satisfaction with their inhaler devices. They included ease of use, the perception that the device delivered a consistent amount of drug to the lungs, and feedback about the number of remaining doses left in the device.

“These findings provide clinicians with strategies that can be tailored to the individual patient to improve clinical outcomes,” Price and colleagues wrote. “Specifically, choice of inhaler device and provision of patient education to ensure optimal use of the device — as well as treatment of concomitant allergic rhinitis and consideration of the patient’s smoking history — are modifiable factors that may optimize asthma control and improve the quality of life for patients with asthma.” – by Jeff Craven

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.