Mobile Application clinical trials

Evaluation of a Mobile Application to Facilitate the Interpretation of Spirometry by Family Physicians and Residents

Problematic: Spirometry is used to objectify the obstructive syndrome defining chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, this test remains underused in the primary care. The tools available for its interpretation are little used and the existence of several decision algorithms can create confusion during the diagnosis. Principal objective: To evaluate the impact of a mobile application (SPIRO©) on medical practice (interpretation and prescription of spirometry) of family physicians and family medicine residents working in family medicine units (FMU) in Quebec affiliated with Laval University. Secondary objective : To evaluate the usability of SPIRO© among family physicians and residents in family medicine working in FMU in Quebec affiliated with Laval University. Methods: This is a pre-post clinical trial with control group. Participants (family MD and family medicine residents) will be recruited from the various FMU affiliated with Laval University. Participants working in the FMU in the experimental group will be able to use the SPIRO® mobile application to facilitate interpretation of the spirometry test results while participants in the control group will not have access to it during the study. The basic characteristics of the participants and various behavioral parameters based on the theory of planned behavior concerning the interpretation and prescription of spirometry test will be measured. Data from the control group will be collected before those in the experimental group at the time the application is not yet available, which will minimize contamination between groups. The data will be collected with questionnaires delivered in person to the participants before the intervention (T0 time) and then four months later (T1 time) during their team or research meeting. Participants will be recruited in eight of the 12 Quebec FMU affiliated with Laval University, who will be randomly assigned to two equal groups: control and experimental. The intervention will consist in sending the SPIRO© mobile application to participants in the experimental group who will use it for a period of four months.