Record keeping
Adequate record keeping is a critical component of a good spirometry program. To improve the quality of spirometry testing programs there are three important record keeping components:
Spirometry Test Reports:
Employers are required to ensure that medical records for each worker, including the spirometry test results, are maintained for at least 40 years following the end of employment. Spirometry test reports should include:
Equipment Maintenance Records
Since equipment maintenance records support the accuracy of the spirometry test results in the medical record, equipment records should be saved as noted here below. Availability of such records permits later troubleshooting of problematic spirometry test results, which is particularly important when conducting periodic spirometry testing. Equipment Maintenance Records for each spirometer should include:
Personnel Training and Evaluation Records
Personnel qualifications should be documented and available for review. Personnel Training and Evaluation Records should include:
All calibration and spirometry results must be stored in such a way that retrieval of a worker’s results is possible and uncomplicated. Mostly this is done digitally. For any spirometers that do not have functionality to upload results to a computer, paper copies must be kept. Results on thermal paper should be photocopied and the original attached to the copy as these will fade after a few years.