Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of morbidity and the third leading cause of mortality worldwide.1 The pharmaceutical treatment of COPD relies mainly on the administration of medications via inhalation. However, the effectiveness of these treatments is very often hampered by the suboptimal utilization of inhalers, which may arise due to errors in inhalation technique, insufficient peak inspiratory flow (PIF), or the use of unsuitable inhaler devices.1
Errors in inhalation techniques are remarkably prevalent and associated with inefficient symptom control, a reduction in quality of life, an upsurge in exacerbations, and an escalated reliance on health care systems.2-5 In addition, specific inhaler types, such as dry powder inhalers (DPIs), demand a robust and profound inhalation effort to de-agglomerate the medication-containing powder within the inhaler and enable its deposition within the distal airways.6,7 The use of an inhaler with insufficient PIF is also associated with an increase in exacerbations and a higher frequency of hospital admissions.8-10 Furthermore, certain patient characteristics, such as lack of manual dexterity or cognitive impairments, impose limitations on the capacity to optimally use inhalers..
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