Instruction of hospitalized patients by respiratory therapists on metered-dose inhaler use leads to decrease in...

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Respiratory Therapy
• Patient Education

Background:

• Metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) are frequently used by hospitalized patients.
• Improper MDI technique by patients can lead to suboptimal medication delivery.
• Hospitalized patients with obstructive lung disease often exhibit errors in MDI use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of respiratory therapist (RT)-led instruction on MDI use.
• To assess the impact of RT education on reducing MDI errors in hospitalized patients.
• To determine if RT instruction improves patient adherence to proper MDI technique and spacer utilization.

Main Methods:

• A physician observed baseline MDI use in 58 hospitalized patients with obstructive lung disease, recording errors based on NIH guidelines.
• A respiratory therapist provided standardized MDI instruction, including encouragement for spacer use.
• Post-instruction MDI use was assessed by a physician to quantify changes in error rates.

Main Results:

• The average MDI error rate decreased from 6.72 to 2.43 errors per patient post-instruction (p < 0.001).
• Spacer utilization increased significantly from 27.6% to 91.7% after RT education.
• The observed improvement in MDI technique remained statistically significant after accounting for increased spacer use.

Conclusions:

• Respiratory therapist instruction effectively improves correct metered-dose inhaler use among hospitalized patients.
• RT-led education enhances the utilization of spacers by patients with obstructive lung disease.
• This intervention demonstrates a significant positive impact on patient self-management of respiratory conditions in a hospital setting.