Short- and long-term effectiveness of a supervised training program in spirometry use for primary care professionals

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Primary Care Research
• Medical Education

Background:

• Spirometry use and quality are suboptimal in primary care settings.
• Accredited training programs demonstrating spirometry quality improvement are scarce.
• This study evaluates a novel supervised training program for spirometry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the short- and long-term effectiveness of a supervised training program for performing and interpreting spirometries.
• To evaluate the impact of the training on the quality of spirometric tests in primary care.
• To gauge participant satisfaction with the training program.

Main Methods:

• An intervention study with before-and-after measurements was conducted.
• Participants included physicians and nurses from 26 healthcare centers.
• The program featured theoretical/practical sessions, supervised spirometries, and weekly email exercises.

Main Results:

• Participant test scores significantly improved from pre-training (4.1) to post-training (7.5, 8.9, 8.8).
• Correctly performed/interpreted spirometries increased from 71% (month 1) to 91% (month 2), remaining at 83% after one year.
• A high completion rate (72/74) and satisfaction were reported.

Conclusions:

• Supervised spirometry training significantly enhances primary care professionals' skills.
• The training program effectively improves the performance and interpretation of spirometry.
• Sustained quality of spirometry testing requires ongoing reinforcement, as quality slightly declined after one year.