Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; and Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Northern Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Respir Care. 2022 Jul;67(7):801-806. doi: 10.4187/respcare.09708. Epub 2022 May 3.
Pulse oximeters are often used at home by patients with chronic respiratory diseases and more recently for remote monitoring of patients with COVID-19. There are no published data outside a supervised telemedicine setting regarding patients' experiences with these devices. Our objective was to explore patients' usage patterns and perceptions of using pulse oximetry at home.
Patients with chronic respiratory disease who had a pulse oximeter at home were recruited to complete a structured survey.
Thirty participants with a range of chronic respiratory diseases (mean age 71 y, 16 females) were recruited. Most participants (83%) used home oxygen therapy. Pulse oximeters were bought online (46.7%), at a pharmacy (40%), at a medical equipment store (6.7%), through a clinic (3.3%), or from an oxygen supplier (3.3%). Use was self-initiated in 56.7% of cases and was based on a health care-related recommendation in 26.7% of cases. Sixty percent of participants used the oximeter daily, with 90% expressing confidence in interpreting their oximeter readings primarily due to education from health care professionals and in-patient experiences. Almost all participants adjusted their activity levels or management based upon oximeter readings. Most participants reported that using a pulse oximeter at home was helpful in judging their physical limitations and provided reassurance and confidence in their disease management.
Subjects appeared confident in their use of home pulse oximetry. Health professionals should identify patients who use pulse oximeters for monitoring and ensure that they are able to interpret readings correctly and, if appropriate, adjust management safely.
慢性呼吸系统疾病患者常在家庭中使用脉搏血氧计，最近也用于对 COVID-19 患者的远程监测。在没有监督的远程医疗环境下，尚无关于患者使用这些设备的体验的发表数据。我们的目的是探讨患者在家中使用脉搏血氧计的使用模式和认知情况。
在家中配备脉搏血氧计的慢性呼吸系统疾病患者被招募来完成一项结构化调查。
共招募了 30 名患有各种慢性呼吸系统疾病的参与者（平均年龄 71 岁，16 名女性）。大多数参与者（83%）在家中使用氧气疗法。脉搏血氧计是在网上（46.7%）、药店（40%）、医疗器械商店（6.7%）、诊所（3.3%）或氧气供应商（3.3%）购买的。在 56.7%的情况下，使用是自行开始的，而在 26.7%的情况下，使用是基于医疗相关建议。60%的参与者每天使用血氧计，90%的人表示对解释自己的血氧计读数有信心，主要是因为接受了医疗保健专业人员的教育和住院经验。几乎所有参与者都根据血氧计读数调整了他们的活动水平或管理。大多数参与者报告说，在家中使用脉搏血氧计有助于判断他们的身体限制，并为他们的疾病管理提供安心和信心。
研究对象似乎对他们在家中使用脉搏血氧计有信心。医疗保健专业人员应确定使用脉搏血氧计进行监测的患者，并确保他们能够正确解读读数，如果适当，能够安全地调整管理。
