The Effect of Nurse-Led Educational Intervention on the Use of Inhalers in COPD Patients — Multisystem Review and Semi-quantitative Analysis

Purpose: The aim was to synthesize quantitative and qualitative research that identified the most effective educational strategies for nurse-led inhaler technique (IT) education in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients, as perceived by patients, healthcare providers, and nurses. Methods: A systematic literature search in Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL from 2018 to 30 June 2024 was conducted. In total, 327 articles were identified. The results of 14 studies that met the inclusion criteria were synthesized. Data were analyzed with descriptive and semi-quantitative methods to yield summarizing findings on the effectiveness of different educational strategies. All investigations had assessed patient adherence to IT. Results: Data indicated that nurse-led IT teaching strategies are effective in promoting IT adherence and correctness in COPD patients utilizing the personalized Teach-Back method. However, studies in disease control and comparison of patient IT satisfaction and self-efficacy need further investigation. Conclusion: The results of this study may contribute to the understanding of the most effective educational strategies in nurse-led IT education for COPD patients. The synthesized findings can be used for the development of new educational interventions and assessment instruments for IT adherence.