Can patients with asthma feel inhaler therapy working right away? Two clinical trials testing the effect of timing of assessment on patient perception.
BACKGROUND
Feeling a maintenance therapy work right away may provide positive reinforcement and may offer one way to improve adherence in patients with asthma. Precise measurement is required to accurately compare the presence of this effect across clinical trial treatment groups.


METHODS
Two randomized, controlled studies tested whether timing of assessment (daily vs weekly, study 1; and predose vs postdose, study 2) influenced patients' reports of whether they can feel a medication working right away (perception), and their satisfaction with this perception (satisfaction). These 2-week US-based multicenter double-blind, parallel-group studies included patients > or = 18 years of age with mild to moderate persistent asthma. In each, patients were randomized to one of two drugs with different onset profiles: budesonide/formoterol pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) 80/4.5 microg x 2 inhalations (160/9 microg) twice daily or budesonide pMDI 80 microg x 2 inhalations (160 microg) twice daily. Patients were further randomized to complete previously validated perception and satisfaction questions in a cross-over fashion, either daily and weekly (N = 123) or predose and postdose (N = 134). Patient surveys also assessed perceptions of the onset of effect of medication and their value of these perceptions.


RESULTS
No significant differences were observed in patients' reports of perception, either daily versus weekly or predose versus postdose. A statistically significant difference in satisfaction was found in study 1 only, favoring weekly recall (p < 0.05), with sensitivity analysis showing no difference by treatment group (p = 0.162). Across both studies, most patients (87%) who perceived their inhaler working right away (136 of 157 patients) identified positive airway sensations. Most patients reported that feeling their medication work right away is reassuring and would help them manage their asthma.


CONCLUSIONS
Assessment timing has no effect on patient response to the perception of feeling a medication working right away. Differences found in satisfaction levels reported with weekly versus daily recall were consistent across treatment groups, indicating that no bias was introduced in favor of either treatment group. Patients characterized the perception of feeling a maintenance therapy working right away as easier breathing and reported this perception as beneficial to patient self-care.
Leidy
Nancy Kline
NK
Center for Health Outcomes Research, United BioSource Corporation, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA. nancy.leidy@unitedbiosource.com
Gutierrez
Benjamin
B
Lampl
Kathy
K
Uryniak
Tom
T
O'Brien
Christopher D
CD
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019819:Budesonide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D000068759:Formoterol Fumarate; D006801:Humans; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate / Q000502:physiology; D010465:Perception; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D004983:Ethanolamines; D019819:Budesonide; D000068759:Formoterol Fumarate