A36-19 Patient Reported Feedback Regarding a Portable Spacer / Vhc: A Survey Assessing Where Symptom Flare Ups Occur and Spacer Effectiveness

Rationale Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are chronic respiratory conditions that can lead to acute exacerbations, impacting patient quality of life and carrying a risk of mortality. The use of a valved holding chamber (VHC) / spacer with MDI can mitigate coordination challenges, however when outside of the home many people do not take their VHC with them. This study aimed to gather feedback from patients using a 2-in-1 spacer and protective case regarding where they experienced symptom flare ups and the effectiveness of the portable spacer. Methods A survey was sent out to patients across Canada and UK who were registered in the myAERO* Community, a voluntary platform for AeroChamber* VHC users. Recruitment was conducted online, with a total of 367 respondents who were users of the AeroChamber2go* portable VHC. The survey collected data on patient demographics, location of symptom onset (inside/outside the home), adherence to using VHC, effectiveness of symptom relief compared to MDI alone, and device satisfaction / ease of use. Results The majority of respondents were people with Asthma (42%) and COPD (17%). Adherence to using the VHC was high with 92% self-reporting using it always or most of the time. Location of symptom flare ups differed slightly with age, with on average 68% of people (excluding those who were unsure) stating outside of the home, the value decreasing with age. Of the people who had used both MDI alone and MDI with the portable VHC, 87% reported quicker symptom relief when using the VHC. 98% of respondents reported the VHC as being easy or very easy to use and 99% of people reported a device satisfaction rating of satisfied or very satisfied (80%). Conclusions It is recognized that the people in the survey may be subject to selection bias, as they voluntarily responded to the questions and signed up to the database (are potentially more likely to be adherent than the general patient population). Despite this limitation it is notable that the occurrence of symptom flare ups was predominantly outside of the home and therefore where the utility of the portable spacer (VHC) is even more important. It’s use was associated with high levels of adherence, symptom relief and satisfaction, providing positive reinforcement of it’s effectiveness for people with Asthma, COPD and other respiratory conditions requiring reliever medication when on the go.