Home-Based Spirometry in Patients with Interstitial Lung Diseases: A Real-Life Pilot “FACT” Study from Serbia

Abstract

(1) Background: home-based spirometry, as a form of telemedicine in pulmonology, was previously successfully implemented in clinical practice in developed countries. However, experiences from developing countries are lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and feasibility of home-based spirometry in patients with interstitial lung diseases from Serbia. (2) Methods: 10 patients were given a personal hand-held spirometer with operating instructions and asked to perform daily domiciliary spirometry for the next 24 weeks. The K-BILD questionnaire was used to assess patients’ quality of life, while the questionnaire designed specifically for this study was used to assess their attitudes toward and satisfaction with domiciliary spirometry. (3) Results: there was a significant positive correlation between office- and home-based spirometry at the beginning (r = 0.946; p < 0.001) and end of the study (r = 0.719; p = 0.019). The compliance rate was nearly 70%. The domiciliary spirometry did not affect patients’ overall quality of life or anxiety levels, as measured via different domains of the K-BILD. Patients expressed positive experiences and high satisfaction with the home spirometry program. (4) Conclusions: home-based spirometry may represent a reliable form of spirometry, exploited in routine clinical practice; however, additional research in developing countries with a larger sample size is required.

COVID-19 Lockdown Air Pollution Reduction: Did It Impact the Number of COPD Hospitalizations?

“…This also led to changes in the behavior of chronic patients, who avoided visits to healthcare facilities to reduce the objective risk of potential SARS-CoV-2 virus infection [34]. As a result, it is possible that some patients with mild exacerbations of COPD treated their symptoms at home without seeking help from healthcare institutions or managed their symptoms through remote communication with a doctor (telemedicine) [35]. Next, it is possible that there was indeed a decrease in the frequency of AECOPD in the initial stages of the pandemic, as the implementation of personal protective measures, such as wearing masks, frequent hand washing and disinfection, as well as adherence to social distancing measures, could have had an effect on preventing the transmission of other respiratory infectious agents that act as triggers for AECOPD, such as influenza viruses and RSV [32,33].…”

Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility of Remote Spirometric Monitoring for Rural Patients with Interstitial Lung Disease: A Multimethod Approach

“…An 11-question patient satisfaction survey was developed based on a literature review on telehealth and home spirometry. [17][18][19][20] Surveys were used to assess rural participants' attitudes and experiences by asking general questions regarding comfort, feasibility, and acceptability, with responses scored on a 1-5 Likert scale, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree. Surveys were open for completion for up to 3 months following completion of the study, and results were anonymous.…”