Impact of Structured Counseling on Inhaler Technique and Treatment Satisfaction in Pediatric Asthma Patients: A Patient Satisfaction and Preference Questionnaire-based Assessment

Background: Asthma predominantly contributes as a chronic respiratory condition affecting the pediatric population worldwide.A major barrier to optimal asthma management in children is incorrect inhaler technique.The study aims to assess changes in inhaler technique following structured counseling and educational intervention and evaluate treatment satisfaction using the Patient Satisfaction and Preference Questionnaire (PASAPQ) before and after intervention.Materials and methods: A 6-month, single-center prospective interventional study was conducted in 168 pediatric asthma patients prescribed either metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) or dry powder inhalers (DPIs).Baseline inhaler technique was assessed using an inhaler error checklist, and treatment satisfaction was evaluated using PASAPQ.Patients received structured counseling, live demonstration, supervised practice, and an educational leaflet in English, Hindi, and Marathi.Postintervention assessment was conducted using the same tools.Results: The correct inhaler technique was observed in 32.6% of MDI users and 13.4% of DPI users.Following counseling, correct technique improved significantly to 84.9% and 79.3% among MDI and DPI users, respectively (p < 0.001).Significant postintervention improvements were also observed in the PASAPQ total score, as well as in both performance and convenience domains in both groups (p < 0.001).Conclusion: Structured counseling supported by a multilingual educational leaflet markedly improved correct inhaler technique and treatment satisfaction in both MDI and DPI users.While device-specific errors differed, the intervention proved equally effective across groups.Targeted education effectively minimized common errors, demonstrating its potential as a scalable approach to strengthen asthma control.