Final answer:
To develop a teaching plan for using a metered dose inhaler at home, a respiratory therapist should assess a patient's manual dexterity and language skills. These abilities are essential for handling the MDI properly and understanding the instructions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The respiratory therapist should evaluate a patient's manual dexterity and language skills to develop an effective teaching plan for using a metered dose inhaler (MDI) at home. Manual dexterity is crucial for patients to handle and operate the MDI correctly. Language skills are important to ensure the patient understands the instructions and can communicate any difficulties they might have with inhaler use. Spirometry is a tool used by respiratory therapists to diagnose a restrictive disease by measuring the rate at which air can be expelled from or taken into the lungs, thus helping to evaluate lung function and the effectiveness of treatments for respiratory diseases.