Respiratory function testing: the impact of respiratory scientists on the training and support of primary health care providers.

Objective: In rural Australia access to doctors is limited, access to respiratory physicians even more so and these are the traditional sources of lung function testing. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of training and supporting existing rural primary healthcare providers in lung function testing as a screening and monitoring mechanism due to the shortage of healthcare professionals capable of providing such a service.

Methodology: As pharmacists are readily accessible healthcare professionals, they were trained in spirometry measurement and supported with ongoing quality assurance by respiratory scientists.