Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017 Dec 1;196(11):1463-1472. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201710-1981ST.
The American Thoracic Society committee on Proficiency Standards for Pulmonary Function Laboratories has recognized the need for a standardized reporting format for pulmonary function tests. Although prior documents have offered guidance on the reporting of test data, there is considerable variability in how these results are presented to end users, leading to potential confusion and miscommunication.
A project task force, consisting of the committee as a whole, was approved to develop a new Technical Standard on reporting pulmonary function test results. Three working groups addressed the presentation format, the reference data supporting interpretation of results, and a system for grading quality of test efforts. Each group reviewed relevant literature and wrote drafts that were merged into the final document.
This document presents a reporting format in test-specific units for spirometry, lung volumes, and diffusing capacity that can be assembled into a report appropriate for a laboratory's practice. Recommended reference sources are updated with data for spirometry and diffusing capacity published since prior documents. A grading system is presented to encourage uniformity in the important function of test quality assessment.
The committee believes that wide adoption of these formats and their underlying principles by equipment manufacturers and pulmonary function laboratories can improve the interpretation, communication, and understanding of test results.
美国胸科学会（American Thoracic Society）肺功能实验室熟练标准委员会认识到，有必要为肺功能测试制定标准化报告格式。尽管之前的文件已经就测试数据的报告提供了指导，但这些结果呈现给最终用户的方式存在相当大的差异，导致潜在的混淆和沟通不畅。
一个由委员会全体成员组成的项目工作组被批准制定一份新的关于报告肺功能测试结果的技术标准。三个工作组解决了呈现格式、支持结果解释的参考数据以及测试努力质量分级系统的问题。每个小组都审查了相关文献，并撰写了草案，这些草案被合并成最终文件。
本文提出了一种以特定测试单位报告肺活量计、肺容积和弥散量的报告格式，可以组合成适合实验室实践的报告。为肺活量计和弥散量的参考数据更新了推荐的参考来源，这些数据是自之前的文件发布以来公布的。提出了一个分级系统，以鼓励测试质量评估这一重要功能的一致性。
委员会认为，设备制造商和肺功能实验室广泛采用这些格式及其基本原则，可以提高对测试结果的解释、沟通和理解。
