Fernandes 2011.
| Study characteristics | ||
| Methods |
Design: parallel‐group randomised controlled trial; blinding not stated Duration: 12 weeks Setting: "hospital" based, country not stated Trial registration: not reported |
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| Participants |
Population: 89 people with asthma randomised to an education intervention group (n = 43) or a control group (n = 46) (n not stated explicitly for each group; these numbers are calculated from the percentage female given per group) Age: mean age (SD) in the intervention group 41 (14) years, and in the control group 41 (12) years Baseline asthma severity: "uncontrolled" asthma Inclusion criteria: non‐smoking patients with new, uncontrolled asthma reporting to hospital Exclusion criteria: not reported Percentage withdrawn: not reported Other allowed medication: not reported |
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| Interventions |
Intervention summary: inhaler technique education delivered by respiratory therapist (no further details) Control summary: routine inhaler technique instruction delivered by physician (no further details) |
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| Outcomes |
Outcomes measured: inhaler technique and asthma control (ACT) Technique assessment method used: not described |
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| Notes |
Type of publication: conference abstract Funding: not reported |
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| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Described as 'randomised', but no details of sequence generation |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | No details |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | No description of procedures intended to blind participants or personnel to group assignment |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes | High risk | No description of procedures intended to blind participants or personnel to group assignment; for patient‐reported outcomes, such as ACT, the participant was the outcome assessor |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | Drop‐out not reported |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | High risk | No prospective trial registration identified. Minimal details, as reported as conference abstract only. Unclear what "asthma control" percentage refers to. Number of participants included in analysis unclear |
| Other bias | Low risk | None noted |