Description:

Our inhaler education measure uses claims data to determine the percentage of patients in our population (Adult Asthma, Pediatric Asthma, and COPD) with at least one claim for the inhaler education billing code (CPT 94664) in the measurement year.  A higher proportion indicates better performance.

Population Specifics:

• Asthma patients, regardless of severity, aged 2 years and older.
• COPD patients aged 40 years and older.

Numerator/Denominator:

• Denominator: All patients aged 2 years and older with COPD or Asthma in the measurement year.
• Numerator: All patients aged 2 years and older with COPD or Asthma that have at least one claim for inhaler education billing code CPT 94664 in the measurement year.

Rationale:

• Asthma: GINA 2022
  • Poor inhaler technique is very common with up to 80% of patients displaying poor technique. Poor technique is a modifiable factor that puts patients at higher risk of exacerbations, and adverse side effects, and may lead to an inappropriate step-up in treatment if it leads to poor control.
• COPD:
  • Patients that receive more than one inhaler device requiring a different inhalation technique show worse outcomes than those who are prescribed devices requiring similar inhalation techniques (Int J Chron Obstruct Pulm Dis. 2019 Aug 2;14:1739).
  • GOLD 2023
    • “Inhaler technique needs to be assessed regularly” (p 51)
    • “When a treatment is given by the inhaled route, the importance of education and training in inhaler device technique cannot be over-emphasized” (p 69)
    • “It is essential to provide instructions and to demonstrate the proper inhalation technique when prescribing a device, to ensure that inhaler technique is adequate and re-check at each visit that patients continue to use their inhalers correctly” (Pg. 32 Pocket Guide).