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Inhaler identification: evaluating a potential screening method for adherence in chronic respiratory disease
David Silva Gomes1, Carlos Seixas2,3, João Cravo1
1. Departamento de Pneumologia do Hospital Infante D. Pedro, Unidade Local de Saúde da Região de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
Summary
Patient ability to visually identify inhalers, not name them, correlates with better adherence. Incorrect visual identification can help flag patients with poor adherence in clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Respiratory Medicine
- Patient Adherence Research
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Medication adherence is crucial for managing chronic respiratory diseases like COPD and asthma.
- Inhaler misuse and poor adherence significantly impact treatment efficacy and patient outcomes.
- Current methods for assessing adherence can be time-consuming and may not capture all contributing factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between patients' ability to visually identify and name their inhalers and their medication adherence.
- To evaluate the potential of using inhaler identification and naming as a screening tool for identifying patients with poor adherence.
Main Methods:
- An observational, prospective study involving 196 adult patients with COPD, asthma, or asthma+COPD on chronic inhalation therapy.
- Adherence assessed using the Test of Adherence to Inhalers (TAI) and Proportion of Days Covered (PDC) from prescription records.
- Patients completed questionnaires on visual identification and naming accuracy of their inhalers.
Main Results:
- COPD patients showed significantly higher adherence rates compared to asthma and asthma+COPD groups (p=0.001).
- Correct visual identification of inhalers was associated with better adherence.
- Incorrect visual identification demonstrated high specificity (92.6%) for identifying poorly adherent patients, despite low sensitivity (15.9%).
Conclusions:
- Visual identification of inhalers is linked to better adherence, whereas naming accuracy is not.
- While imperfect as a standalone screening tool, incorrect visual identification offers a practical, rapid method for flagging patients with potential adherence issues in clinical settings.
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