Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Current issue
  • ERJ Early View
  • Past issues
  • Authors/reviewers
    • Instructions for authors
    • Submit a manuscript
    • Open access
    • COVID-19 submission information
    • Peer reviewer login
  • Alerts
  • Podcasts
  • Subscriptions
  • ERS Publications
    • European Respiratory Journal
    • ERJ Open Research
    • European Respiratory Review
    • Breathe
    • ERS Books
    • ERS publications home

User menu

  • Log in
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
  • ERS Publications
    • European Respiratory Journal
    • ERJ Open Research
    • European Respiratory Review
    • Breathe
    • ERS Books
    • ERS publications home

Login

European Respiratory Society

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Current issue
  • ERJ Early View
  • Past issues
  • Authors/reviewers
    • Instructions for authors
    • Submit a manuscript
    • Open access
    • COVID-19 submission information
    • Peer reviewer login
  • Alerts
  • Podcasts
  • Subscriptions

Use of spirometry in family practice in Canada; results of a nationwide survey

Alan Kaplan, Suzanne Levitz
European Respiratory Journal 2016 48: PA3938; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.congress-2016.PA3938
Alan Kaplan
1Communities of Practice, Respiratory Medicine, College of Family Physicians of Canada, Toronto, ONCanada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Suzanne Levitz
1Communities of Practice, Respiratory Medicine, College of Family Physicians of Canada, Toronto, ONCanada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
Loading

Abstract

Aim: To determine the use of spirometry by family physicians in Canada, including barriers to testing and interpretation

Method: A Spirometry questionaire was developed by the special interesest respiratory group of the College of Family Physicians of Canada to determine the use of spirometry in office Practice.Online Surveys were distributed by email through the college website to a group of family physicians identified as having an interest in respiratory medicine. Paper copies were distributed to all attendees at the College National Conference in Toronto in November 2015 and collected on site.

Results: The majority of Physicians polled did use spirometry to aid in diagnosis of Copd and Asthma,and less often for other causes of dyspnea. 62 % had experienced barriers to accessing spirometry and obtain results,including long wait times and poor reports.Two thirds of respondents had moderate to severe discomfort with performing spirometry and more than half were uncomfortable or very uncomfortable with interpretation. Barriers to office spirometry included time constraints and lack of personnel to perform tests. When presented with a case,the majority of respondants would perform spirometry to make a diagnosis, although only 50% used spirometry to aid in diagnosis of undifferentiated dyspnea.

Conclusion: Family physicians are interested in using spirometry to diagnose their patients with respiratory symptoms. There is a gap in knowledge in the performance and interpretation of spirometry, and variability in the availability of testing and consistency of test results. These needs can be addressed through ongoing education, including CME at the local and national level, and spirometry workshops.

  • Spirometry
  • COPD - diagnosis
  • Asthma - diagnosis
  • Copyright ©the authors 2016
Previous
Back to top
Vol 48 Issue suppl 60 Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents
  • Index by author
Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on European Respiratory Society .

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Use of spirometry in family practice in Canada; results of a nationwide survey
(Your Name) has sent you a message from European Respiratory Society
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the European Respiratory Society web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Use of spirometry in family practice in Canada; results of a nationwide survey
Alan Kaplan, Suzanne Levitz
European Respiratory Journal Sep 2016, 48 (suppl 60) PA3938; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.congress-2016.PA3938

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero

Share
Use of spirometry in family practice in Canada; results of a nationwide survey
Alan Kaplan, Suzanne Levitz
European Respiratory Journal Sep 2016, 48 (suppl 60) PA3938; DOI: 10.1183/13993003.congress-2016.PA3938
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Technorati logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Connotea logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo

Jump To

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

More in this TOC Section

  • Hazardous levels of PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in mean aerodynamic diameter) are emitted during burning of individual fire crackers in India
  • Predicting risk of undiagnosed COPD in primary care: Development and validation of the TargetCOPD model
  • Extent and impact of late vs early stage COPD diagnosis in the Swedish ARCTIC study
Show more 1.6 General Practice and Primary Care

Related Articles

Navigate

  • Home
  • Current issue
  • Archive

About the ERJ

  • Journal information
  • Editorial board
  • Reviewers
  • Press
  • Permissions and reprints
  • Advertising

The European Respiratory Society

  • Society home
  • myERS
  • Privacy policy
  • Accessibility

ERS publications

  • European Respiratory Journal
  • ERJ Open Research
  • European Respiratory Review
  • Breathe
  • ERS books online
  • ERS Bookshop

Help

  • Feedback

For authors

  • Instructions for authors
  • Publication ethics and malpractice
  • Submit a manuscript

For readers

  • Alerts
  • Subjects
  • Podcasts
  • RSS

Subscriptions

  • Accessing the ERS publications

Contact us

European Respiratory Society
442 Glossop Road
Sheffield S10 2PX
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 114 2672860
Email: journals@ersnet.org

ISSN

Print ISSN:  0903-1936
Online ISSN: 1399-3003

Copyright © 2022 by the European Respiratory Society