Business Wire·Apr 15, 2026, 10:00 AM ET

On the Line for Lung Health: Telephone Training Helps COPD Patients Perfect Inhaler Use

A study by Humana Healthcare Research and University of Chicago Medicine shows a phone-based inhaler education program improved respiratory care for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with COPD.
Participants with low medication adherence who received guidance from pharmacists significantly improved their inhaler technique in 2020.
Misuse of inhalers dropped from nearly 40% at the start of the program to less than 7% after the first phone education session among nearly 2000 participants.
Positive outcomes were observed across all inhaler device types and patient subgroups, with multi-session education helping maintain correct usage over time.
The research highlights remote, pharmacist-led training as a promising method for managing COPD while emphasizing the need for tailored approaches for individuals struggling with inhaler use.
Program leader Emily Thomas noted that phone-based education offers convenient, personalized guidance to address the precise timing required for effective medication delivery.
UChicago Medicine researcher Valerie Press emphasized that inhaler misuse is pervasive despite guidelines recommending technique assessments at all healthcare encounters.
The full study was published in the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation.