The effect of video presentation showed in the outpatient clinic waiting area on the success of inhaler device use in chronic respiratory diseases

•As shown in many studies, about half of patients cannot use their inhaler devices correctly. This is associated with drug wastage, increased treatment costs, and inadequate disease control.•We thought of a simple, inexpensive method that do not require not extra-personnel that may increase patients' device success.•In this method, without any intervention to the patients, only the video is played on the television in the waiting room. Nonadherence to inhalation therapy and incorrect inhalation technique is an important problem for optimal disease management in patients with chronic respiratory disease. The aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of an inexpensive and effortless method which would be able to improve the inhalation technique of patients. The video showing the correct use of inhaler devices was played continuously for 3 months in the waiting room of the chest diseases polyclinic, on the big screen TV. The patients, who were not prompted to watch the video, were divided into two groups, as those who visited the outpatient clinic before (n = 300, Group 1) and after (n = 300, Group 2) the video playback began. Patients' ability to use their own inhaler devices was observed without intervention, scored according to the standard 'Ability of Inhaler Device Use' scale and the two groups were compared. The inhaler use skill of the patients in the second group was significantly higher except for the Turbuhaler. In Group 2, among the “video watchers” subgroup, there was significant improvement in all device types. Presentation of the use of inhaler devices on the screens in the waiting area of the outpatient clinics of health facilities will provide significant benefits and allow reducing the failure of treatment due to incorrect/incomplete device usage.