title: Improving inhaler adherence in a clinical trial through the use of the nebulizer chronolog.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nides
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Tashkin
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wise
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Rand
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D009241:Ipratropium