How to Compare Office Spirometers for Asthma

A spirometer is a medical device that can measure air flow and air volume in the lungs. This measurement is called forced expiratory volume (FEV). An office spirometer is a spirometer that is marketed and sold primarily for use in individual doctor’s offices. According to a study published in Chest Journal, office spirometers perform well in research studies when compared to diagnostic spirometers used in hospitals or for research.

The National Lung Health Education Program (NLHEP) has established a process for evaluating spirometers, as well as a checklist for evaluating compliance against NLHEP guidelines.

Things You'll Need

• Short list of office spirometries
• Office spirometer documentation

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Instructions

• 1

  Compile a list of office spirometers you want to evaluate. A good place to start is with the list of office spirometers that meet the NLHEP Guidelines.

• 2

  Assess the spirometer’s features. When assessing the features, look both at the type of features available as well as the user-friendliness of those features. User-friendliness may include how easily you can figure out how to use the features or turn features on and off, how easily you can move the spirometer between locations, how much information the display shows, and how easy it is to use the software to extract and report on data.

• 3

  Assess the spirometer’s documentation and education. Any spirometer should be appropriately documented and labeled as meeting American Thoracic Society (ATS) recommendations. However, there should be additional accompanying documentation for how to use and troubleshoot the spirometer. The documentation may be printed, but it may also be online.

• 4

  Assess initial and ongoing maintenance costs of the spirometer. An office spirometer costs about a third of a diagnostic spirometer. Other costs to consider, however, include the cost of the time to take the test, how long the spirometer is anticipated to last based on usage and potential repair costs.

• 5

  Evaluate printed and online reviews of the spirometers. Other practitioners' reviews may provide valuable information about your comparison criteria. In addition, you may be able to find specific information about the precision of the spirometers when compared to diagnostic spirometers.