Feasibility of telehealth spirometry for patients with cystic fibrosis in a regional setting

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Telemedicine has flourished during the covid-19 pandemic. There is an increasing interest in performing spirometry at home, as part of a telehealth program, especially in cystic fibrosis (CF), to follow the course of the disease. However, it is unclear whether the results of home spirometry are comparable with the in-clinic performed spirometry in terms of quality and accuracy. Aim(s) To evaluate the feasibility and measurement quality of telehealth spirometry assessments for patients with CF living in a regional setting. Method(s) Patients with acceptable hardware at home were provided with a flow sensor portable spirometer (Spirobank Smart) compatible with ATS/ERS 2019 standards for volume accuracy. They performed spirometry during 'home admissions' or ongoing home monitoring for one year over the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2021 to January 2022). At the end of each session, the family forwarded the data to the CF Centre. Result(s) Twenty-nine patients with median age 17.4 years (6.7 to 34 years), 58% females were evaluated (mean baseline FEV1pp 79.8 (21.4). According to the American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society criteria, they performed successful spirometry in 320 of 430 (74.5%) attempted sessions. The median distance between the subject's home and the hospital was 124 km (range 49-418 km), equating to a median travel time saving of 1.5 hours per hospital visit. Conclusion(s) Home-based telehealth spirometry is feasible among patients with CF and can support the CF team for ongoing outpatient monitoring.