The pros and cons that are related to the patient
| Patient-related pros | Patient-related cons |
|---|---|
| ▸ Reminding the patient to use their inhaler | ▸ Bulkiness and appearance may put patients off |
| ▸ Improve compliance | ▸ Patient may not like being ‘watched’ |
| ▸ Patient can see their inhaler use from home and know if they are underusing/overusing | ▸ An electronic monitoring device may be required for more than one inhaler per patient |
| ▸ Patient has proof of their adherence to share with their clinician—increasing trust | ▸ Ease of use—another thing patients have to learn |
| ▸ Increase patient involvement and motivation for treating their condition | ▸ Elderly patients may struggle with the technology or have a negative attitude towards it |
| ▸ Better asthma control and improved quality of life | ▸ May make no difference to already unengaged patients |
| ▸ Adding the ability to alert when the inhaler is about to run out would be beneficial | ▸ May put patients off coming to clinic particularly if they have failed |
| ▸ Increasing patient independence, accountability and self-management for their asthma | ▸ Paternalistic approach |
| ▸ Parents can check on their child's inhaler use | ▸ Patient may forget to bring the device with them to clinic |
| ▸ Patient's awareness of monitoring by their clinician may improve their compliance | ▸ Patient resistance or refusal to use the device |
| ▸ ‘Cool’ technology may appeal to patients | ▸ Patient may find the reminders a nuisance |
| ▸ Could reduce exacerbations | ▸ Could create potential conflicts between the patient and their clinician or parents |
| ▸ Increasing patient confidence in their care | ▸ Many who get this device may do so as there are adherence concerns and this will show (inevitably) that adherence is poor |
| ▸ Promote competition | ▸ More benefits for researchers than patients, meaning patients may fail to see worth |
| ▸ This will not address intentional non-adherence |