Arthurs 2014.

Study characteristics
Methods	Design: parallel‐group randomised controlled trial; blinding not stated Duration: 3 months Setting: paediatric ward, Ireland Trial registration: not reported
Participants	Population: 21 children with asthma randomised to DVD inhaler instruction or individual instruction (n for each group not reported) Age: not reported Baseline asthma severity: not reported Inclusion criteria: children already using or with newly prescribed inhalers over 3 months in paediatric ward Exclusion criteria: not reported Percentage withdrawn: not reported Other allowed medication: not reported
Interventions	Intervention summary: DVD inhaler instruction about valved holding chamber use Control summary: individual instruction equivalent to information in the DVD; delivered by a physiotherapist
Outcomes	Outcomes measured: inhaler technique, self‐efficacy and knowledge acquisition Technique assessment method used: "Technique was assessed immediately post and 3 months after education with a new outcome measure. Intra‐rater and inter‐rater reliability of the new measure was examined"
Notes	Type of publication: conference abstract Funding: not reported
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	"21 participants were randomised to DVD or individual education" ‐ no further details
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	No details
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	"Technique was assessed pre‐education in non‐naive participants". Participants and personnel were aware of group allocation
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	High risk	No mention of blinded outcome assessment, but only a conference abstract available
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Not reported
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	High risk	Numerical results not reported
Other bias	Low risk	None noted