How we teach children with asthma to use their inhaler: A scoping review protocol

Abstract BackgroundOne reason that asthma remains poorly controlled in children is poor inhaler technique. Current guidelines recommend checking inhaler technique at each clinical visit. However, they do not specify how best to train children to mastery of correct inhaler technique. Currently many children are simply shown how to use inhalers (brief Instruction) which results in less than 50% with correct inhaler technique. The aim of this scoping review is to explore published literature on teaching methods used to train children to master correct inhaler technique.MethodsThis scoping review will follow the Arksey O'Malley scoping review methodology and the 2015 Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. It will be reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Protocols extension for Scoping Reviews. An initial pilot exercise will be undertaken using the online database MEDLINE before proceeding to a complete search using the databases Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL and the Cochrane library. We will include studies published since the year 1956 on teaching the skill of inhaler technique to children. Due to the iterative nature of a scoping review, the research question or the search terms may alter following a piloting process.DiscussionThis scoping review will provide a broad overview of currently used educational techniques to improve inhaler technique in children with asthma. This may allow us to make recommendations for primary and secondary care asthma clinics. The analysis will allow us to refine future research in this area by focusing on the most effective techniques and optimising them. This will likely lead to a systematic review of the literature with the potential to design a randomised control trial of educational interventions to teach inhaler technique to children with asthma.