Limited Knowledge on Asthma and Pressurized Metered-Dose Inhaler Technique Among Health Care Professionals Attending Asthmatic Patients in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

Introduction: Receiving wrong health education from health care professionals (HCPs) might contribute to patients’ poor inhaler technique. We set out to investigate HCPs' knowledge on asthma and metered-dose inhaler technique in selected health facilities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: In a cross-sectional study done from August 2020 to February 2021, participant’s demographics were recorded. The inhaler technique was assessed using a 12-step checklist. Participants had correct inhaler technique when all the steps were performed correctly; otherwise, the technique was poor. An 18-question questionnaire for health care professional knowledge was used to assess asthma knowledge. One point was awarded to each correctly answered question, whereas a zero point was given to a wrongly answered or unanswered question. Knowledge was adequate if the score was 13/18 or higher. Chi-square was used to compare categorical data, while analysis of variance was used for comparison of mean scores for asthma knowledge and inhaler technique. A p value ≤0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 114 participants were enrolled; 57% were medical officers, and 59.6% had work experience of <5 years. The majority (53.5%) had no training on inhaler technique, and 75% had inadequate knowledge on asthma. Good asthma knowledge was associated with age ≥40 years ( p = 0.039) and being a medical specialist ( p = 0.002). Only 4.4% of the participants did all the steps of inhaler technique correctly. Conclusion: Knowledge on asthma and inhaler use technique is generally lacking among health care professionals. In-service training on asthma and inhaler demonstration should be considered for HCPs in asthma clinics.