Hamilton Health Sciences changes to race-neutral lung evaluation practices to support Black patients 

Breathing into a spirometer is one way to measure lung function. HHS is changing the way spirometry readings are interpreted to eliminate race-based considerations. (stock photo) Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) is making strides in health equity by updating its clinical standards for testing lung health. This change comes in response to new guidelines from the American Thoracic Association. Race-based adjustments in lung health assessments have negatively affected Black and other racialized patients. The initiative reflects HHS’s commitment to providing the best possible care for all patients, regardless of race.  The problem with race-adjusted pulmonary function testing  Historically, HHS, like many other health-care organizations, used race-adjusted algorithms as part of evaluating the health of someone’s lungs. Patients were required to identify their race or ethnicity, and respiratory therapists would enter a corresponding code into the system. We now know this method was not based on representative evidence and often resulted in Black and other racialized patients being undiagnosed or underdiagnosed, limiting their access to appropriate care and treatments. Now, a patient’s lung capacity is only compared against averages for other people of the same height, age and sex. One of the standard tests used is called spirometry, which measures how much...