TY - JOUR T1 - Spirometry in primary care: is it good enough to face demands like World COPD Day? JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 725 LP - 727 DO - 10.1183/09031936.03.00075203 VL - 22 IS - 5 AU - T. Schermer AU - T. Eaton AU - R. Pauwels AU - C. van Weel Y1 - 2003/11/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/22/5/725.abstract N2 - On November 19th this year, World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Day 2003, people worldwide willbe encouraged to review their respiratory health status and consult a doctor in case of certain symptoms 1. Spirometry would be regarded as an integral component ofthis consultation. Additionally, asymptomatic smokers >40 yrs will be advised to have their lung function checked 1. Thus, a likely and desirable outcome of World COPD Day could be a considerable and perhaps dramatic increase indemand for spirometry. This is a potentially daunting prospect with important implications in terms of the availability and utilisation of healthcare resources. It is therefore not only timely but essential to reflect on the current status ofspirometry in primary care. Thus far, a New Zealand study which was reported in 1999presents the only, but extremely welcome, randomised prospective evaluation of the implementation of spirometry in primary care practice formally assessing both the impact of training and quality assurance 2. The results of this study should be placed in the context of the growing prevalence of COPD which presents an increasing burden on healthcare resources globally 3. An essential requirement would seem to be the development of high quality spirometry by family physicians on a large scale. The implications are sobering. Family physicians already diagnose 5–10 new cases annually 4, a figure expected to increase in the coming decades. This figure, albeit dramatic, still underestimates the true challenge of COPD. The burden of the disease in the community is much higher and for a substantial number of patients COPD remains undiagnosed and consequently untreated 5. Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of COPD and … ER -