M.C. Townsend Associates, LLC

Phone: 412-343-9946    Fax: 412-343-9947      mary.townsend4@verizon.net
NIOSH Approved Spirometry (Full Course)
NIOSH Approved Spirometry Refresher
Respirator Fit-Testing Workshop
Course Director
Registration Form
Continuing Education Credit
Web-Based NIOSH-approved Spirometry Refresher
Physician Web Based Spirometry Training
Related Sites
Brochure (PDF)
Michigan On-Site Spirometry Refresher Brochure (PDF)

Web-Based Spirometry Training for Physicians

* Physicians use spirometry results to diagnose COPD,asthma, and occupational lung disorders, evaluate prognosis and response to treatment, and assess effects of workplace exposures and ability to wear respirators on the job.  

* Spirometry appears to be simple, but errors in testing technique and equipment malfunctions can seriously elevate or reduce results, leading to false positive or false negative interpretations.

* Physician training rarely includes the detailed information needed for optimal spirometry testing - Web-Based Spirometry Training for Physicians provides this needed current information in an interactive learning format.

* Physicians can complete the course at their own pace, at times that are convenient.

* Comprehensive reference is always available - use Reference Value Calculator, and print tables of normal values, including NHANES III.

* Approved for up to 6.0 AMA Physicians Recognition Award Category 1 Credits.

* Click here to view sample training materials!

Development of the Training: Developed by Dr. John Hankinson, formerly of NIOSH, major author of American Thoracic Society (ATS) Spirometry Guidelines, Dr. Bill Eschenbacher, pulmonologist specializing in occupational lung diseases, and Dr. Mary Townsend, epidemiological and pulmonary function testing consultant for many companies, and lead author of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) Spirometry Position Statements.

Training will enable physicians to: 1) Understand the value of spirometry in the evaluation of individuals with symptoms or as part of an occupational respiratory surveillance program;

2) Understand the technical aspects of performing spirometry testing including criteria for spirometry testing equipment, technician training, performance of testing, results reporting, and record keeping;

3) Identify appropriate test results and then use those test results for interpretation by comparison to predicted values including the use of lower limits of normal;

4) Understand the need for quality assessment/control to ensure the most representative spirometry test results for an individual and for all spirometry testing conducted in a laboratory or site setting; and

5) Understand that spirometry results can be part of a more complete clinical correlation for the individual being tested.

Having completed the course, physicians can evaluate whether their spirometry programs meet current ATS and ACOEM guidelines for: 1) test validity, recognizing and correcting technical errors; 2) spirometer accuracy and maintenance, determining the adequacy of calibration checks; 3) selection of spirometry values for evaluation; 4) and interpretation of test results as normal, obstructed, or restricted.

Training Chapters

Chapter 1 - Spirometry and How Is It Used?

Chapter 2 - Technical Aspects of Spirometry

Chapter 3 - Spirometry Quality Assurance Program

Chapter 4 - Spirometer Specifications and Calibration Requirements

Chapter 5 - Valid Test

Chapter 6 - Interpretation of Results and Clinical Correlation

Chapter 7 - Clinical Examples

Chapter 8 - Other Pulmonary Function Tests

Chapter 9 - Medical/Respiratory Surveillance and Longitudinal Changes

Chapter 10 - Controversial Topics

Chapter 11 - Building a Program to Ensure High Quality Spirometry Results

  Price: $95 per user. Order by mail or by fax using the Registration/Order Form. If you have questions, please call 412-343-9946 or email tomary.townsend4@verizon.net, with the subject "Web-based Training Inquiry."

   To obtain 6.0 AMA Physicians Recognition Award Category 1 Credits, you must complete the entire Training Program, answering at least 75% of the questions and exercises correctly and complete the on-line evaluation form for the course. The program saves a file of your answers and the program tells you immediately whether your answers are correct.  The program informs Dr. Townsend once you have completed the training. Once your answer file has been evaluated, a certificate of course completion and CME credits will be emailed to you.