Sample Letter Spiro Results

Attachment 18 –

Sample letter to each participating miner in the CWHSP with the spirometry examination results

JANE Q SMITH

123 MAIN STREET

MORGANTOWN, WV 26508

Dear MS. SMITH:

Thank you for participating in the coal miner health examinations conducted on 12/13/2014 in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Mobile Examination Unit. Enclosed are the results of your breathing tests performed during that time. The results of your spirometry testing conducted on 12/13/2014 show a possible abnormality.

The actual values from your tests are enclosed with this letter. You should provide this information to your personal physician, so that it may be added to your medical records. Any abnormal test results should not be considered a diagnosis of disease; that determination can only be made by your personal physician following a complete medical evaluation.

Explanation of Test Results

The purpose of the coached breathing test (known as spirometry), which you performed on {TEST_DATE_TIME}, is to determine how your lung function compares to expected normal lung function. The test includes measurements of the forced vital capacity (FVC) (this is the maximal or total amount of air you can forcefully breathe out after taking a deep breath) and the 1 - second forced expiratory volume (FEV1) (this is the amount of air that you can breathe out in the first second of exhaling), and the calculation of the ratio of FEV1 to FVC. In the enclosed report entitled, "Report of Spirometry Findings," your test results are compared to predicted values for a healthy, non - smoking person of the same age, height, sex, and race. A graph of your breathing tests appears at the bottom of the page.

An obstructive abnormality indicates that air is exhaled from the lungs more slowly than normal. This can be seen in certain lung conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema. The greater the obstruction (the lower the FEV1), the more difficult it is to exhale the air from the lungs.

Sincerely yours,

Cara Halldin, Ph.D.

Team Lead, CWHSP

Surveillance Branch

Respiratory Health Division