Effectiveness of Various Methods of Teaching Proper Inhaler Technique The Importance of Pharmacist Counseling

Objective:To compare the effectiveness of 4 different instructional interventions in training proper inhaler technique.Design:Randomized, noncrossover trial. Setting: Health fair and indigent clinic.Participants:Inhaler-naive adult volunteers who spoke and read English.Interventions:Subjects were assigned to complete the following: (1) read a metered dose inhaler (MDI) package insert pamphlet, (2) watch a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) video demonstrating MDI technique, (3) watch a YouTube video demonstrating MDI technique, or (4) receive direct instruction of MDI technique from a pharmacist.Primary Outcome:Inhaler use competency (completion of all 7 prespecified critical steps).Results:Of the 72 subjects, 21 (29.2%) demonstrated competent inhaler technique. A statistically significant difference between pharmacist direct instruction and the remaining interventions, both combined (P < .0001) and individually (P ≤ .03), was evident. No statistically significant difference was detected amo...