The Pulmonary Diagnostic Care Laboratory of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is now included in the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Registry, indicating adherence to the highest international standards in pulmonary function tests (PFT) administered in their facilities.
Chronic respiratory diseases are among the most common non-communicable diseases worldwide, imposing an immense worldwide health burden. Qatar is also seeing higher rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, asthma and other respiratory tract infections. The efforts to provide the safest, most effective care to patients has been the impetus for HMC to enhance its Pulmonary Diagnostic Care Laboratory based on internationally recognised standards.
ATS Pulmonary Function Laboratory Registry
The ATS Pulmonary Function Laboratory Registry is an inclusion and acknowledgement programme accepting the US and international pulmonary function laboratories that commit to established standards for pulmonary function testing as outlined in the joint ATS/European Thoracic Society (ERS) series of standards for pulmonary function testing.
Dr Ahmed Al-Mohammed, Chairman of the Department of Medicine at HMC, explained the driving force behind his team’s efforts to be included in the ATS Registry. He said that the Department of Medicine has been operating a PFT laboratory for 35 years, performing around 12,000 procedures a year at PFT labs in the different HMC facilities.
However, improvements in respiratory disease diagnosis and management have enabled us to introduce laboratory enhancements designed to deliver better patient care. I am proud of the team that has led this significant effort to ensure that our laboratory meets the ATS/ERS standards for inclusion in their internationally recognised Registry.
Dr Al Mohammed said that pulmonary function laboratories produce information that has an important clinical impact, including diagnosis and classification of disease severity, choice of therapy, response to therapy and disease progression.
We believe this is a vital step toward improving and maintaining high-quality testing in pulmonary function laboratories throughout our organisation.
A laboratory must apply to be included in the ATS Pulmonary Function Laboratory Registry. This is followed by submitting reports on laboratory operations and its commitment to ATS/ERS standards, which are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers across many countries, including testing equipment, methodology and diagnostic interpretation.
Dr Hisham Abdul Sattar, Chief of Pulmonary/Sleep Division at HMC, said that the team involved worked very hard to meet the international standards to qualify for the registry. He said that it took them around six months to prepare for the registry application and finally obtain the accreditation.
The inclusion of the ATS registry is a symbol of quality that reflects our organisation’s commitment to providing safe and high-quality patient care. We are delighted to have been given the Approval for Pulmonary Diagnostic Care Certification, demonstrating our commitment to continuous compliance with the ATS/ERS performance standards.
Balamurugan Panneerselvam, Chief Technologist (Pulmonary Diagnostic Care) at HMC explained that the ATS registry certification means the Pulmonary Diagnostic laboratory complies with the highest international standards set by the ATS and ERS for safety and quality of patient care.
To provide the right treatment, the Pulmonary Function laboratory conducts PFT, which are non-invasive tests that measure lung volume, capacity, rates of flow, and gas exchange, which show how well the lungs are working. Panneerselvam added that this information is used by the respiratory physician (Pulmonologist) in diagnosing the type of lung disorder and determining the best treatment option for the condition.
They currently have nine expertly trained technicians conducting pulmonary tests in laboratories across HMC.
For updates and more information, visit hamad.qa.
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