CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS 15th International Social Pharmacy Workshop Queenstown, New Zealand July 2008

Teaching respiratory device technique to pharmacy students: people vs technology

Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich, Faculty of Pharmacy, Building A15, Science Road, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia. sinthia@pharm.usyd.edu.au

Background

Training pharmacists to be good educators, utilizing a variety of techniques is very important, especially when it comes to education involving devices and medication administration techniques. One of the most common situations in which pharmacists need to train patients on device technique is in the management of asthma. It is well established that patients have difficulty in learning and maintaining correct technique when it comes to the use of respiratory devices (Basheti, et al., 2005). Unfortunately, patients are often unaware of their inability to use these devices correctly and health care professionals, including pharmacists, rarely educate or review the use of these devices with patients (Basheti, et al. 2005; Chopra, et al., 2002; Kesten, et al., 1993). Research has shown that the most effective way of educating patients in correct device technique is through physical demonstration and verbal instruction (Lee-Wong & Mayo, 2003). Hence, pharmacists need to know how to use these devices themselves. Currently, second year undergraduate Bachelor of Pharmacy students at the University of Sydney are taught inhaler device technique in a respiratory tutorial as part of their Pharmacy Practice course. Training undergraduate students in this is quite time consuming thereby compromising the time available to cover more complex respiratory topics. More efficient and effective educational techniques need to be explored, including web-based technology.

Aim

To compare the proportion of students able to demonstrate correct TurbuhalerÒ (TH) technique following small-group training and self-completed web-based training.

Methods

Students enrolled in PHAR2617 were invited to participate. Following enrolment, students were randomly allocated to Group A (small group training – Intervention A) or Group B (self-completed web-based training – Intervention B). For 10 minutes, prior to intervention delivery, all participants were given a placebo TH with written product information which they individually studied for 10 minutes. Baseline TH assessment (Basheti et al., 2005) and demographic data collection followed. Groups A and B then received TH training with Interventions A or B respectively and TH technique was assessed again.

Results

Following intervention, there was a statistically significant improvement in the proportion of participants able to demonstrate correct TH technique for both Groups A and B (n=123, 12% to 63%, χ2=4.226, p<0.05 and n=113, 9% to 59%, χ2= 4.286 respectively) which was not statistically significant between the groups (n= 234, p>0.05, χ2-test).

Implications

Self-completed web-based training is as effective as small group training in improving the TH technique of PHAR2617 students. Further work associated with both short and long-term modifications to these interventions needs to be investigated in order to improve the impact of these interventions.

References

Basheti, I. A., Reddel, H. K., Armour, C. L., Bosnic-Anticevich S. Z. (2005). Counselling about turbuhaler technique: needs assessment and effective strategies for community pharmacists., Respiratory Care 50(5), 617-23.

Chopra, N., Oprescu, N., Fask, A., Oppenheimer, J.  (2002) Does introduction of new “easy to use” inhalational devices improve medical personnel’s knowledge of their proper use? Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunolology,  88(4): p. 395-400.

Kesten, S.,  Zive, K., & Chapman, K. R. (1993). Pharmacist knowledge and ability to use inhaled medication delivery systems. Chest, 104(6), 1737-42.

Lee-Wong, M. & Mayo, P.H. (2003) Results of a programme to improve house staff use of metered dose inhalers and spacers. Postgraduate Medical Journal,  79(930),  221-225.