The assessment of pulmonary function with spirometry is common practice in occupational medicine and is properly regarded as an essential component in any respiratory medical surveillance program. However, many technicians, nurses, and physicians have been inadequately trained and perform or calculate tests incorrectly. Information obtained under these circumstances can be worse than no information at all. For these reasons, spirometry must meet stringent quality control measures regarding:

* Methodology
* Technician Competence
* Instrument Performance Standards

Most Health Services Inc. strictly follows the requirements for valid spirometry screening as published in the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) updated Clinical Practice Guideline (1996) concerning the testing instrument, test technique, and criteria for valid graphs and the interpretation of spirograms.

Performed by certified medical technicians who have documented training from a NIOSH approved spirometry training facility. They are experienced in subject coaching, performance of testing, calibration procedures, and recognition of improperly performed tests and corrective maneuvers, with emphasis on data quality and reproducibility.

The spirometry equipment used in screening programs is the Spirometrics SMI III which meets all recommended criteria required by the American Thoracic Society (ATS), OSHA, NIOSH, the Cotton Dust and Black Lung Standards, and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). This instrument is designed to achieve fast, efficient testing minimizing the need for lengthy procedures or subject re-testing.

MOST Health Services Inc. utilizes a Portacount Plus for quantitative fit testing. This system allows for customized fit testing and provides you with a hardcopy report to satisfy inspection standards. It can be used in conjunction with any type of respirator with a tight-fitting facepiece, including powered air purifying respirators (PAPRS) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).