Improving inhaler adherence in a clinical trial through the use of the nebulizer chronolog.
This study examined whether utilizing an electronic medication monitor (Nebulizer Chronolog) to provide participants with detailed feedback on their metered-dose inhaler (ipratropium bromide or placebo) usage patterns would result in closer adherence to the prescribed regimen of two inhalations three times daily compared to a control group not receiving feedback. Adherence was also measured by canister weighing and self-report. Two-hundred fifty-one consecutive special intervention participants from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Johns Hopkins University centers of a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored clinical trial were enrolled in this ancillary study. Compared to controls, feedback participants at the 4-month follow-up adhered more closely to the prescribed three sets per day (mean 1.95 vs 1.65) and used the prescribed two actuations in a greater percentage of sets (80 percent vs 60.3 percent). These results indicate that electronic monitoring of metered-dose inhaler use with a Nebulizer Chronolog in a clinical trial not only provides a more accurate assessment of adherence to prescribed inhaler use, but also enhances adherence when participants are given feedback of the monitoring results.
Nides
M A
MA
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine.
Tashkin
D P
DP
Simmons
M S
MS
Wise
R A
RA
Li
V C
VC
Rand
C S
CS
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009241:Ipratropium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D010349:Patient Compliance
D009241:Ipratropium