Inhaler use and education characteristics among English and non-English speaking patients: A pilot needs assessment survey.
Sucharita Kher, Hillary Landau, Stephanie M Hon and 5 others
PMID 30573296WHAT IT FOUND
English-speaking and non-English-speaking inhaler users reported similar confidence, but the survey did not check technique.
Both groups preferred active teaching and rarely used internet resources.
Key findings
01Self-reported inhaler confidence was similar between English-speaking and non-English-speaking adults after adjustment for age, gender, and duration of inhaler use.
02At initial visits, 88% of English-speaking and 84% of non-English-speaking adults reported inhaler education; at subsequent visits, 54% of English-speaking adults reported education versus 72% of non-English-speaking adults (p = 0.03).
03Both groups preferred active learning (74% vs 70%, p = 0.6), rarely used internet resources (12% vs 17%, p = 0.4), and most education was performed by clinicians, including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The survey was voluntary, so patients who chose to respond may not represent all inhaler users. It did not measure actual inhaler technique, so reported confidence cannot be taken as proof of correct use. Most non-English-speaking participants were Chinese dialect speakers, so results may not apply to other language groups. The survey did not record whether an interpreter helped complete it, and it did not collect health literacy, race, or ethnicity. Participants were stable outpatients at one academic centre in Boston's Chinatown, so acutely ill or hospitalized patients and other settings are not represented. English-speaking participants were more likely to use metered dose inhalers, which may affect comparisons between language groups.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat reported confidence as evidence of correct inhaler technique. The survey did not measure actual technique, and the authors note confidence likely does not mark technique.