The crucial role of spirometry to enhance lung health

This is a question many patients ask when the pneumologist recommends this diagnostic test. As you know, spirometry is a physiological test that measures the maximum volume of air an individual can inhale and exhale with maximum effort. This test measures either volume or airflow in relation to time. The most relevant measurement is Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), which is the volume delivered during an expiration made with the greatest force possible. The test begins by measuring Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV₁), which is the volume exhaled in the first second of an FVC maneuver.

For these and many other reasons, spirometry is a valuable tool that, together with physical examination, symptoms, and the patient's medical history, provides important information to the doctor for diagnosis, prescribing appropriate treatment, and making adjustments to provide the best care for the patient.

Therefore, SCHILLERdeveloped the SpiroScout spirometer, which is not only comfortable and hygienic thanks to its ScoutTube mouthpiece and PFT filter but also, as it uses ultrasonic technology, it does not require calibration. Additionally, the equipment utilizes the LFX software, exclusive to SCHILLER, which has various useful functionalities for the physician. One of them is that it displays on the screen whether the attempts are acceptable according to ATS/ERS (American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society) standards. All of this significantly simplifies the spirometry process, both for the patient and the healthcare professional. Among its many advantages we can mention:

• It is calibration-free, saving time and enabling clinicians to conduct more measurements.
• The SpiroScout complies with ATS/ERS Gold Standards and OSHA requirements.
• EMR option is available for seamless connectivity.
• SpiroScout is easy to install and set up.

As you can see, the SpiroScout ultrasonic spirometer is a great solution. Keep reading; below, we will explain why it can also be a great business for physicians.

The decision to conduct spirometry is made by the healthcare professional who orders it, based on their assessment of the risks and benefits of spirometry for the patient. According to the American Thoracic Society¹, these are the conditions under which this test is indicated:

The ATS recommends discontinuing spirometry if the patient experiences pain during the maneuver. Despite this precautionary warning, it is worth noting that the test is usually comfortable and safe. A survey conducted in 2018 by the European Lung Foundation, involving 1760 patients who underwent this test (from 52 countries), revealed that 80% found the effort involved in the spirometry maneuver quite acceptable.

In fact, 31% of them stated that blowing until they felt they had no more air was a moderate to serious inconvenience. Therefore, the ATS suggests that this could be addressed by using a display showing the flow so that patients can see their performance during the maneuver. This is something that the LFX software of the ultrasonic spirometer SpiroScout perfectly solves. While the patient performs spirometry, the software displays a candlestick chart that guides them to know if their efforts are sufficient.

Environmental pollution, smoking, and having had COVID-19 are factors that make the majority of adults and children candidates for spirometry to check their lung health. In addition to all that, we must add the risks that many people are exposed to due to their professional activity. We will talk about that in more detail below.

Occupational lung diseases (OLDs) are caused, aggravated, or exacerbated by exposure to toxic particles in the workplace. This contributes substantially to individuals developing chronic respiratory diseases.² According to a review of available medical literature, Blanc et al. summarized the incidence of some of the most common ones as follows: ³

Implementing SpiroScout in your practice can help elevate the quality of care (which comes with benefits like Improving your HEDIS score ranking and patient outcomes). Additionally, conducting spirometry is a simple way to increase your revenue: you can charge for both the consultation and the test. Do you want more reasons to adopt SpiroScout? Here you have them:

• It has an Intuitive and user-friendly interface for easy use.
• No cleaning and maintenance are needed.
• LFX software offers the most accurate and user-friendly program for pulmonary function tests.
• Most of your patients are eligible for a spirometry.
• You can obtain additional CPTs during annual checkups and improve patient care,
• You can recover your investment before seeing a hundred patients.

We have developed the SCHILLER Trial Program, a program designed for you to discover for yourself the advantages of working with the ultrasonic spirometer SpiroScout. This program is very simple:

REFERENCES

[1] Brian L. Graham et al. (2019) Standardization of Spirometry 2019 Update An Official American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society Technical Statement. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Volume 200. Number 8. October 15, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6794117/pdf/rccm.201908-1590ST.pdf
[2] Kevin P. Vlahovich, Akshay Sood. A 2019 Update on Occupational Lung Diseases: A Narrative Review. Pulm Ther. 2021 Jun; 7(1): 75–87. Published online 2020 Dec 31. doi: 10.1007/s41030-020-00143-4
[3] Paul D. Blanc et. Al The Occupational Burden of Nonmalignant Respiratory Diseases. An Official American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society Statement. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2019 Jun 1; 199(11): 1312–1334. Published online 2019 Jun 1. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201904-0717ST