Francesco Blasi, Angelo Corsico, Fabiano Di Marco, Carlo Mereu, Nicola Scichilone, Francesco Pagano, Massimo Sumberesi, Pierachille Santus, Roberto Bernabei, Fulvio Braido, Stefano Centanni, Giuseppe Paolisso, Ilaria Baiardini, Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi, Manlio Milanese, Giorgio Walter Canonica, Blasi, Francesco, Canonica, Giorgio Walter, Centanni, Stefano, Mereu, Carlo, Bernabei, Roberto, Paolisso, Giuseppe, Incalzi, Raffaele Antonelli, Corsico, Angelo, Di Marco, Fabiano, Milanese, Manlio, Pagano, Francesco, Santus, Pierachille, Scichilone, Nicola, Sumberesi, Massimo, Braido, Fulvio, Baiardini, Ilaria, Blasi, F., Canonica, G., Centanni, S., Mereu, C., Bernabei, R., Paolisso, G., Incalzi, R., Corsico, A., Di Marco, F., Milanese, M., Pagano, F., Santus, P., Scichilone, N., Sumberesi, M., Braido, F., and Baiardini, I.
Proper use of inhaler devices may be problematic in elderly patients due to age-related difficulties. A survey was administered to elderly patients to investigate the usability of the Genuair® device and patients' subjective viewpoint on the device. A representative sample of the Italian population aged ≥ 65 years was completed with a pre-defined sample of 89 patients with hand arthritis/arthrosis. Of 526 respondents, 88 were not self-sufficient. Only the replies of the 438 self-sufficient respondents were analyzed. A total of 107 participants (24%) reported having respiratory diseases, and 81 of these (76%) were users of inhaler devices. After the first test, the device was considered “practical/handy” by 90% of patients and “easy to use” by 89%. After the second test, in which patients received a demonstration of the correct inhalation maneuver, the percentage of patients scoring ≥ 7 increased to 93% for the first characteristic and was confirmed for the second, with no differences between the groups in terms of age, educational level, use of devices, and presence of arthritis/arthrosis. The mean time to explain the inhaler technique and to perform a correct inhalation was 1'38"± 1'37", and 70% of the respondents required less than 2 minutes, with no differences between the groups in terms of age, education level, use of devices, and presence of arthritis/arthrosis. In conclusion, Genuair® was well accepted and easy to use in a representative sample of the Italian population aged ≥ 65 years. These characteristics make it a valid choice in the elderly, thus enabling patients to better cope with the problems and difficulties that are common to this age group.