Today, a variety of effective medications are available to treat and control the symptoms of chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD, asthma, and allergic rhinitis. However, many patients, even those who have been prescribed medication, still suffer from respiratory symptoms. Studies show that one reason for this is that many patients do not know how to use their medication properly. For example, a 2008 study by the Woolcock Institute found that up to 90 percent of patients taking asthma medications use their inhalers incorrectly—but that patient education can improve inhaler technique and asthma control. Although this study was conducted in asthma patients, it confirms the patterns that have been shown for other airways diseases. This situation is the inspiration behind the ICC’s Respiratory Medication Delivery Initiative, which focuses on collecting, developing, and distributing information to help patients better understand how to take their medications.
We thank ADMIT for providing the permission for the use of Asthmaflash (Concept: Prof. Lorenzo Corbetta, lorenzo.corbetta@unifi.it) and other educational resources available in the website www.admit-online.info.