Assessment of Patient Experiences with Respimat in Everyday Clinical Practice

Rationale: In patients with COPD, inhaler experience may affect compliance and therefore therapeutic success. Two large non-interventional studies (NIS SPIRIT and OTIVACTO), including more than 9,000 patients in total, investigated therapeutic success (primary endpoint, surrogate for physical functioning) and patient satisfaction (secondary endpoints) with tiotropium/olodaterol (T/O) delivered via Respimat. This analysis assessed patient satisfaction with inhalation and handling of the Respimat inhaler.

Methods: Between 2016 and 2017, 9,180 patients received T/O 5/5 µg via Respimat in two non-interventional trials in routine clinical practice in Europe. Each trial encompassed about 6 weeks of an open-label observational period in general and pulmonologist practices. Patient satisfaction with the inhalation delivered via Respimat, satisfaction with regular use and continuation of therapy, were analyzed by Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire at study end.

Results: Most patients were classed as GOLD A or GOLD B patients according to GOLD 2017, and approximately one-fifth of the study population were GOLD D patients (GOLD A 25.59%; GOLD B 46.12%; GOLD C6.72%; GOLD D 21.56%). The most commonly used COPD therapies prior to the start of study treatment were long-acting muscarinic antagonists (26.96%), long-acting β₂-agonists (LABAs; 14.44%) and LABA/inhaled corticosteroids (11.06%). More than 95% of patients were rather satisfied to very satisfied with inhalation from the Respimat device and with its handling (inhalation: very satisfied 42.04%, satisfied 43.74%, rather satisfied 9.38%; handling: very satisfied 41.02%, satisfied 43.32%, rather satisfied 10.79%). Importantly, patient compliance with dual bronchodilation was high over the observational period, with 98.57% of patients regularly using T/O delivered via Respimat. Patient satisfaction was also reflected by a high proportion of patients continuing T/O via Respimat after completion of the observational period (95.45%).

Conclusion: Our real-world evidence from more than 9,000 patients indicates a high level of satisfaction for inhalation of T/O delivered via Respimat and with handling of the device. A large majority of the study population used the therapy regularly, underlining the importance of the device for COPD patients.