Exemplar Projects

Inhaler Technique Improvement Project (ITIP)

Category: Other Regions

Abstract

The Isle of Wight had a high prevalence of long term respiratory conditions combined with a much higher than average, spend on medication for treatment. Despite the higher spend, clinical outcomes were poor, with a greater number of respiratory related emergency hospital admissions than expected. Reasoning from the disparity between spend on medication and the high level of emergency hospital admissions that simply investing more money in medication wasn't addressing the issue, the PCT began tackling the effectiveness of inhaler use.

Inhaler Technique Improvement Project (ITIP)

Information

Problem.

The Isle of Wight had a high prevalence of long term respiratory conditions combined with a much higher than average, spend on medication for treatment. Despite the higher spend, clinical outcomes were poor, with a greater number of respiratory related emergency hospital admissions than expected. Reasoning from the disparity between spend on medication and the high level of emergency hospital admissions that simply investing more money in medication wasn't addressing the issue, the PCT began tackling the effectiveness of inhaler use.

Solution.

In 2011, the South Central Strategic Health Authority agreed to spread the IOW model across all its Primary Care Trusts, because there are similar issues regarding use of inhalers.  SCSHA asked the Thames Valley HIEC and Wessex HIEC to oversee the roll-out of the Inhaler Technique Improvement Project (ITIP) in partnership with PCTs.

The programme included:

•Training events for pharmacists to raise awareness of how to use inhalers correctly. Pharmacists will then use Medicine Usage Reviews to inform patients about good technique.
•Training DVD, podcast and e-learning package produced for pharmacists and other health professionals.
•Funding provided for training equipment, such as two-tone inhalers.
•As a separate project an evaluation tool (ESMAQ) was also rolled out.

Outcomes

Improved inhaler technique reduces waste of the inhaled medication, reduces the usage of other medications (reliever inhalers, antibiotics and oral steroids for example), increases the benefit of the prescribed medication, improves quality of life and reduces hospital admissions.
Full evaluation will be conducted Spring 2012.

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