Course Description:

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.