Promoting knowledge of metered dose inhaler (MDI) usage among pharmacy professional students through a mobile app

Abstract

Introduction Efficient asthma management necessitates optimal usage of metered-dose inhalers (MDIs). As future health professionals, pharmacy students are pivotal in disseminating accurate methodologies for MDI usage. Despite having hands-on experience, there is room to enhance their comprehension, highlighting the need for prompt patient educational interventions. Objective This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile app-assisted educational method in improving pharmacy students’ understanding of MDI usage. Methods A pre-experimental study was conducted from March to August 2021 with 45 participants enrolled in the Pharmacist Professional Study Program at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. Using a one-group pretest-post-test design, the study measured the app’s impact on students’ knowledge and MDI usage skills. Results The intervention significantly improved students’ scores on a 9-step MDI usage checklist, with increases ranging from 0.10 to 0.50 across verbal and motor components. A Mann-Whitney U test validated these findings, showing a statistically significant p-value of 0.001. Conclusion The mobile app-assisted educational approach substantially enhanced pharmacy students’ proficiency in MDI use. The significant rise in mean scores for the 9-step checklist, along with the notable p-value, supports the effectiveness of this intervention in healthcare education.