Abstract
Objective:
To measure patients' beliefs about inhaler treatment for asthma.
Design:
A 66-item questionnaire with 33 statements rated first in relation to corticosteroid inhalers and then to β2-agonists.
Subjects:
Seven hundred asthma patients prescribed both beclomethasone and salbutamol inhalers from seven general practices in Norfolk.
Results:
Although 93% of the 335 respondents believed in prevention, 24% wanted to stop their corti-costeroid inhaler. Over 95% of patients perceived β2-agonists as effective. Half were concerned about side-effects from both inhalers and two-thirds did not like being dependent on inhalers. More than a third thought that avoiding triggers or relaxing were more effective than taking inhalers. Differences in responses between the inhalers were in the theoretically expected direction.
Conclusion:
Whilst many patients may well hold beliefs about inhalers that are compatible with the optimal use of inhalers for the treatment of asthma, a significant minority do not.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hand, C., Morley, S. & Adams, M. Patients' beliefs about inhalers:. Prim Care Respir J 8, 9–11 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/pcrj.2000.4
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/pcrj.2000.4