Factors influencing satisfaction of asthmatic patients treated with combination inhaler

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the factors influencing satisfaction of asthmatic patients treated with combination inhaler and to compare the patient satisfaction subscale scores among subgroup of asthmatic patients classified by level of asthma control and patient characteristics. A cross-sectional survey was performed by using survey instrument. All patients were outpatients who visited chest clinic and allergy clinic of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital during March 1, 2009 to April 15, 2009. Of the 110 patients, these patients had moderate to severe persistent asthma. Their age ranged from 18 to 80 years old. The patients had used dry powder combination inhaler of budesonide/formoterol or salmeterol/fluticasone not less than 3 months. The assessment of patient satisfaction with budesonide/formoterol or salmeterol/fluticasone was based on the scores that were measured by the Satisfaction with Asthma Treatment Questionnaire (SATQ). Satisfaction was classified into four domains including effectiveness of treatment, ease of use, medication burden, and side effects and worries. Patient demographics, level of asthma control, number of drugs, and adherence with medication were the factors that were explored the association with patient satisfaction with combination inhaler by using Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA). The results showed that there were a significant relationship between patient demographics, level of asthma control, number of drugs, adherence with medication, and the satisfaction overall score in this model (r = 0.50, p= 0.001). The variance within the predictors can explain 25% of variance within the satisfaction overall score. The adherence score had significantly largest positive correlation with satisfaction overall score (r = 0.38, p< 0.01). Poorly-controlled level had significantly positive correlation with satisfaction overall score (r = 0.23, p< 0.05). It can be concluded that two major factors associating with the patients’ satisfaction to combination inhaler drugs were adherence and poorly-controlled level. Moreover, adherence score had significantly largest positive correlation with satisfaction overall score. The results on the influencing factors affecting satisfaction with combination inhaler could be used to improve the standard guidelines and the advice for counseling the asthmatic patients individually to give better treatment satisfaction and treatment outcome in the asthmatic patients who had poor adherence or who had totally-controlled level.