Phone-based education significantly improves inhaler technique for COPD patients

Guiding people on how to correctly use inhaled medications via a phone-based program can help improve technique, according to a new study in the March 2026 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation, a peer-reviewed, open access journal.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, affects more than 30 million Americans and is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Many people with COPD use inhaler-based medications as part of their treatment plan; however, research has shown that most people do not use these medications correctly, which can reduce effectiveness and result in more frequent exacerbations.

This new study examined the effectiveness of implementing a teach-to-goal inhaler education program over the phone, specifically among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with COPD. Teach-to-goal is an educational strategy that uses a teach-back approach in which individuals are asked to repeat what they were taught in their own words or demonstrate what they were shown. Additional rounds of demonstration and verbal instruction are completed until the participant can perform the technique correctly.

Participants had received a COPD diagnosis in the past two years and had filled at least one maintenance inhaler prescription in the past year. At the initial assessment, nearly 40% of participants used their inhaler incorrectly. After the first teach-to-goal education session, only about 7% of participants were incorrectly using their inhaler. All participants had at least two teach-to-goal educational sessions via telephone.

Teach-to-goal programs are beneficial for educating people on proper inhaler use. However, we also know several factors, including time constraints and location, contribute to people not receiving the necessary in-person instruction and education about their inhaled medication. We saw marked improvement in correct inhaler use with a phone-based teach-to-goal program. This phone-based approach can help remove some barriers to accessing inhaler education, more typically done face-to-face. Additional research would be useful to help determine how to further individualize this educational approach to meet people's specific needs."

Valerie G. Press, M.D., MPH, professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of Chicago and lead author of the study