A Survey of Parental Decision Making in the Selection of Adrenaline Self-Administration Devices

In recent years, self-administered adrenaline therapies have expanded beyond conventional injectable formulations with the development of intranasal formulations, increasing the range of available delivery devices. This study aimed to clarify which factors are prioritized by parents or guardians of children carrying adrenaline auto-injectors and how they perceive different adrenaline delivery devices.

A questionnaire-based survey was conducted from April to October 2025 among parents or guardians of children prescribed adrenaline auto-injectors. The survey assessed factors considered important in adrenaline formulations, including certainty of effectiveness, ease of administration, pain during administration, portability, and caregiver concerns.

A total of 98 respondents were included in the analysis. The most highly prioritized factor for adrenaline self-administration was certainty of effectiveness, followed by ease of administration and portability. Regarding device selection, when no information about the formulations was provided, the highest proportion of respondents answered that they were "unable to decide". In a hypothetical scenario assuming equivalent efficacy of the two formulations, parents or guardians tended to prefer the intranasal device.

Parents or guardians prioritized certainty of effectiveness when selecting adrenaline self-administration devices. Many respondents were unable to decide between injectable and intranasal devices when no information was provided, whereas preference shifted toward intranasal adrenaline in a hypothetical scenario assuming equivalent effectiveness. These findings suggest that evidence-based information sharing and device-specific education are important when introducing new adrenaline delivery options.