Spirometry
The Foundation is leading efforts to improve access to spirometry through national training, professional standards and advocacy for earlier diagnosis of respiratory disease.
National spirometry course
The Cardiac and Respiratory Foundation NZ is facilitating the launch of the first Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ)-recognised spirometry training course in New Zealand in late 2026.
The University of Otago course now offers a TSANZ-recognised spirometry course for health practitioners wanting to perform spirometry. This is a mix of online and face-to-face learning aligned with the recently released TSANZ Spirometry Suite of Documents for Primary Care.
TSANZ recognition of one national course was a key recommendation by the Spirometry Think Tank Group, a group brought together by the Foundation in October 2024.
The Foundation will facilitate and support a pilot programme for experienced spirometry trainers in Wellington later this year, with the goal to increase the number of TSANZ-recognised spirometry trainers to support a national best practice standardised course.
Spirometry Think Tank meeting
In October 2024, the Foundation hosted a two-day workshop with 26 multidisciplinary health professionals from around the country to form a Spirometry Think Tank to discuss spirometry testing.
From that meeting, a briefing was drafted and sent to the Minister of Health to urge the Government to take urgent action to improve access to and awareness of spirometry in New Zealand.
You can read the full briefing below. We hope it will:
- raise attention about spirometry to the Minister of Health, and wider stakeholders/public - create noise on the subject
- raise our concerns publicly, especially around access, and ideas to move forward
- organise a meeting with the Minister to discuss the brief/ideas in more detail
Read more
Understanding spirometry
Spirometry is a simple breathing test that measures the flow and volume of air entering and leaving the lungs to find out how well your lungs are working.
Health experts push for change in vital lung disease test
Health professionals call for better access to spirometry to detect serious respiratory disease earlier.