[Cyclohaler's acceptance by asthma and COPD patients].
BACKGROUND
The patients' acceptance of the treatment scheme and their readiness to stick to the prescribed dosing is considered to be the most important condition on which successful treatment of asthma and COPD depends. With regard to this assumption, a study was designed whose aim was to find out how patients assess a particular powder inhaler, cyclohaler and to what degree they approve of its physical and technical features.


METHODS
The study consisted in completing an anonymous questionnaire. The study group was recruited from asthmatic and COPD patients treated in outpatient units in Wroclaw and Lublin, Poland. 230 persons passed the recruitment stage, 220 completed the study.


RESULTS
96.4 and 94.5% of the patients ranked small size and low weight of the inhaler, respectively, as its most positive features, ranking the features higher than the device's colour (respectively p = 0.003 and p = 0.02). Other features, like dust protection and comfortable mouthpiece won almost equally high evaluation (respectively 97.3 and 98.2%). Most patients assessed these features as more important than discretion and easy handling and transportation (respectively p = 0.015 and p = 0.028). A high percentage of the study group praised the inhaler's technological efficacy. 94-96% at the least gave positive opinions about such features as: clear instruction, certainty of a dose's intake, the possibility of checking the amount of inhaled doses.


CONCLUSIONS
The inhaler that was the object of the study enjoyed a high degree of acceptance mostly due to its features facilitating easy and efficient inhalation.
Panaszek
Bernard
B
Katedra i Klinika Chorób Wewnetrznych i Alergologii Akademii Medycznej we Wrocławiu.
Emeryk
Andrzej
A
Nittner-Marszalska
Marita
M
Bogacka
Ewa
E
Gietkiewicz
Krystyna
K
Machaj
Zbigniew
Z
Czerwińska-Pawluk
Iwona
I
Bednarek
Anna
A
D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents