In working with some of you, we’ve determined that the Spriometer Measurement data type is serving a bit of double-duty in its current form.  As it turns out, there are two primary but very different types of measurements that this data type is currently thought to store:  Spriometry and Peak Flow. 

Spirometry is a clinical diagnostic test using clinical devices to map out the lung function of a patient who suffers from a debilitating lung disease.  Patients typically are brought into the clinic several times per year to chart out their decline in capacity, volume, force, etc.  These visits can range from once per year to many times per year.  A typical measurement would include FEV1, FET, SVC, Percentage 25 to 75, Percentage 25 to 50, and a bunch of other values.

Peak Flow, on the other hand, is typically a home monitoring test for people with asthma only.  These tests are done at the convenience of the consumer and a high frequency (daily).  The measurements are primarily PEF although some can also determine FEV1 (6).

To date, all of solution providers that we have contacted are using the Spriometer Measurement data type to store peak flow measurements – by means of a device or an application.  A new data element has been suggested to store the personal best flow measurement at the time of the current flow measurement was taken.  By storing this personal best along with the current flow measurement, an application can more easily track and graph the improvement or decline over time.

Assuming everyone is using this data type in the same way (speak up if you’re not), then we propose the following updates:

1.       Rename the existing Spirometer Measurement data type to Peak Flow Measurement.

2.       Add Personal Best as a new element to the data type.

3.       Remove Spirometry specific data elements from the data type.  We’ll revisit this and most likely introduce a specific data type for Lung Functions/Spriometry when we hear from partners with this type of clinical scenario.

If your application uses the current Spriometer Measurement data type and you have any comments or questions about this pending update, please post them to the Data Types forum.