[The usefulness of establishing a unified set of guidelines for teaching inhalation techniques to patients using a dry powder inhaler].
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the effectiveness for establishing a unified set of guidelines for teaching inhalation techniques to patients using a dry powder inhaler.


METHODS
We evaluated the effectiveness of these guidelines by a questionnaire survey given to pharmacists in Yamato Civic Hospital and at 4 outside pharmacies.


RESULTS
1. Regarding the contents of guidelines, 61% reported them to be very good and 39% good. 2. Regarding the teaching method, 29% described them as very good, 68% good and 3% no change. 3. Regarding time, 13% reported very good, 58% good and 29% no change. 4. Regarding the patients achieving a sufficient understanding of appropriate inhalation techniques, 17% reported the guidelines to be very good, 71% good and 13% no change. 5. In cases using more than one inhaler, the use of a unified set of guidelines was reported to be useful by 74%, no opinion by 10%, and teaching how to use each different inhaler separately was preferred by 16%. In addition, 30% of patients that reported the guidelines to be simple and easy to understand, 13% said that the guidelines helped to reduce the time needed in learning how to use the inhaler correctly and 57% of patients said it reduced the degree of confusion regarding the use of device by patients. 7. Some people had their opinion that it had better to teach every kind of inhalation guidance variously because patient's knowledge and understanding could rise. There is the other opinion that unification inhalation guidance confused with each inhalation guidance separately already. 8. It's better and it was mentioned if there were some pictures and photo in this unification inhalation guidance.


CONCLUSIONS
We consider the establishment of a unified set of guidelines for teaching inhalation techniques to be a simple and easy method that increases the effectiveness of this treatment method by reducing the degree of confusion by patients.
Watanabe
Naoto
N
Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine. drnaotow@jiu.ac.jp
Nakagawa
Takemasa
T
Miyazawa
Teruomi
T
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011208:Powders; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy; D013256:Steroids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D011208:Powders; D013256:Steroids