Pulmonary Function Tests: Overview and Interpretation

Course overview

Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) provide information on all aspects of respiration. The tests can help identify problems with the airways, the lung parenchyma, the respiratory pump, the blood vessels in the lungs, as well as neurologic control of respiration. PFTs measure disease effects on lung function, including assessment of airway responsiveness related to disease and to interventions. PFTs can be used to assess risk of surgery, and estimate prognosis for specific lung conditions. An understanding of PFTs and how to interpret the values can help guide a clinician's evaluation and treatment plan. When used in combination with clinical judgment and individual patient characteristics, PFTs can help establish medical necessity for participation in pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) and respiratory services (RS) programs. After completing this module, participants will be able to identify the PFT values required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for participation in a PR program and related services. They will also be able to interpret spirometry and lung volumes to better understand the physiology underlying chronic lung diseases and relate that to additional assessment findings for clinical decision making. This course is appropriate for anyone in a healthcare discipline involved in pulmonary rehabilitation. The goal of this educational program is to provide PT, OT, RT, and nursing professionals with knowledge of pulmonary function tests and how to interpret results.