New technologies contribute to improve and streamline healthcare La tele improvement quality and reduces costs in the espirometrÃas conducted in centers of attention primary.
– according to a study, the percentage of quality espirometrÃas succeeded in with on-line support is 72%, similar to the percentage of specialized consultations
Spain, January 2012- The European Respiratory Jorurnal magazine has published a study under the umbrella of the programme of integrated research of COPD in the Spanish society for Pneumology and thoracic surgery (SEPAR) showing the advantages use a program on Telecare line to control and improve the quality of forced spirometry tests. The generalization of the use of the forced quality spirometry in primary health care is a global priority because it facilitates the diagnosis and monitoring of respiratory diseases, some so prevalent as asthma and COPD, and is essential to facilitate the principle of continuity of care with interactions between different levels of care health.
the realization of espirometrÃas of quality by non-specialist staff of primary care can be accomplished with efficiency and saving costs through remote assistance through a website that can also facilitate the continuing education of the staff involved ”, explains Felip Burgos, SEPAR member and coordinator of the study.
In the published study involving 7 centres of reference, 18 health centers in all Spain, 34 nurses and 4,581 patients during 12 months. As a previous step developed a platform on line support for nurses through which the reference centres offered tele, and basic training on espirometrÃas was provided to participants. Then created two groups one with access to the platform telematics and one without.
To compare the quality of the espirometrÃas carried out in primary care by non-specialized staff with or without the support of tele, results show that centres who have web support in a sustained way have a higher percentage of high-quality espirometrÃas, while in workplaces without support on line quality is declining throughout the year. Achieved sustained percentage of high-quality espirometrÃas is 72%, a figure similar to that obtained in the specialized consultations.
These results are very significant, show a path to follow, the introduction of new technologies can boost new strategies for early diagnosis of COPD and optimize the management of chronic diseases ” explains Felip Burgos. Can also drive new strategies to improve the early diagnosis of COPD incorporating other agents public health as the pharmacy offices which are already currently using this application, demonstrated the pharmacist, coordination with the medical field, can contribute to the optimization of the management of chronic diseases in the community.
the spirometry is a relatively simple and routine test that measures the ability the patient ventilator through the expiratory maximum and sustained. Staff that carries out, in addition to getting a good cooperation of the patient, must assess the quality of the different attempts and choose the espirométricos to consider most representative values. The spirometry should be carried out without difficulty in primary care for the control of chronic respiratory patients. Advice and training by specialized staff can be at this point essential.
