Book Description

"The effect of non-adherence to inhalers has a significant impact on morbidity and mortality in patients with COPD and/or asthma, as well as an increase in healthcare cost. Non-adherence to inhaler treatment is a complex multifactorial problem. The patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a non-adherence rate up to 50 to 70% with their medication regimen. The purpose of this EBP change project was to improve inhaler adherence in patients with COPD and/or asthma by conducting follow-up calls after a face-to-face visit. A total of seven individuals voluntarily participated in the project. During the initial face-to-face visit, the participants completed a pre-test (Morisky, Green, Levine Questionnaire). The first follow-up calls were placed one week after the face-to-face visit. The second follow-up calls were placed two weeks after the first follow-up calls. During the follow-up calls, the project manager addressed any barriers that were preventing the participants from adhering to inhaler regimen such as changing the inhaler to one with a lower copay. The post-test was completed by the participants during the face-to-face follow-up visit. The post-test demonstrated an improvement in inhaler adherence of 58% among all participants, which exceeded the benchmark of 30%. Consequently, follow-up calls after the face-to-face visit improved medication adherence by providing an opportunity for healthcare providers to address barriers that may hinder patients from adhering to the medication regimen. Key words: COPD, asthma, medication, inhaler, non-adherence, follow-up calls " -- Abstract