As all practice nurses will know, respiratory conditions are some of the most common, and for nurses, time-consuming, conditions encountered in primary care. But are nurses receiving enough training? Do you have time to ensure that asthma patients are properly instructed in inhaler technique? Do patients understand the importance behind adherence?
Poor adherence is a particularly challenging aspect of asthma management. In a Belfast study, 63 of 182 patients had filled <50% of prescriptions for inhaled combination therapy and 57 admitted to low adherence.
Another recent study of nonadherence in asthma patients concluded that ‘nonadherence is very common across all severities of asthma and is a common reason for “difficult asthma” in adults and children. It is difficult to identify in routine clinical practice, requiring a systematic approach using a variety of tools.’
Independent Nurse has launched its 2019 Respiratory Survey to find out the answers to these questions. We would like to know areas of concern, or examples of best practice from nurses managing respiratory patients.
To take the survey, visit: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5060247/Independent-Nurse-Respiratory-Survey-2019