Mark Levy, FRCGP: Digital Inhaler Increases Treatment Adherence

Inhaler use can be difficult for some asthma patients, leading to faulty adherence and improper dosing of medications.

However, with the advent of new technology, it might soon be easier to know when an inhaler is being improperly used so that the problems can ultimately be corrected.

In a poster presented at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2020 (ERS 2020), researchers presented data testing a new digital inhaler that alerts the user through a smartphone application whether or not they are using the inhaler correctly.

By promoting better inhaler techniques, the researchers believe ultimately they can severely reduce the amount of preventable asthma hospitalizations and improve care for the disease.

In the 696 patient study, the investigators found the digital inhaler helped identify patterns of use and provided clinically meaningful information early and facilitated physician-patient interventions and conversations.

In an interview with HCPLive®, Mark L. Levy, FRCGP, discusses why patients seem to struggle with inhalers and how digitalizing the technology could have a drastic impact on reducing asthma hospitalizations.

Levy explained how inhaler technique has long been an issue for asthma patients and that many of the asthma issues ultimately could have been prevented.