Pulmonary Function Technologist
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A pulmonary scientist is a
health care Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
occupation in the field of diagnostic studies related specifically to pulmonary function, the term ''respiratory scientist'' may also refer to a
pulmonologist Pulmonology (, , from Latin ''pulmō, -ōnis'' "lung" and the Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language fam ...
who holds a
medical degree A medical degree is a professional degree admitted to those who have passed coursework in the fields of medicine and/or surgery from an accredited medical school. Obtaining a degree in medicine allows for the recipient to continue on into special ...
and a
doctoral degree A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
( MD-PhD). Internationally pulmonary scientists have many different titles, such as: pulmonary function technologist, respiratory scientist, pulmonary scientist, cardiopulmonary specialist and in some places
registered respiratory therapist A respiratory therapist is a specialized healthcare professional, healthcare practitioner trained in Intensive care medicine, critical care and cardio-pulmonary medicine in order to work therapeutically with people who have acute critical condit ...
s are also used in the role of pulmonary scientists. A physician in respiratory science is generally referred to as a physician in their title (i.e. Respiratory Physician-Scientist). Respiratory science is a diminishing field of study and research even though the increase in respiratory related disease is increasing.


International Pulmonary Science


Australia

In Australia there is no register or licensure for Respiratory Care; there is, however, the Certified Respiratory Function Scientist (CRFS) credential. Australian respiratory therapy is done by physiotherapists who have further specialized in cardiopulmonary therapeutics and the scope not covered by physiotherapists are managed by specialized respiratory nurses. The term Respiratory Scientist is used to describe the profession which is limited to
pulmonary function testing Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is a complete evaluation of the respiratory system including patient history, physical examinations, and tests of pulmonary function. The primary purpose of pulmonary function testing is to identify the severity ...
. Though there is no official credentialing required, university degrees are required to practice.


Respiratory Function Scientist

;Certified Respiratory Function Scientist (CRFS) The Respiratory Scientist is involved in all aspects of respiratory function assessment including patient testing, interpretation of test results, maintenance of equipment, development and evaluation of new methods and quality assurance. The Respiratory Scientist may work unsupervised in core areas and provide training to trainee scientists in these areas under the direction of a senior Respiratory Scientist. Minimum education requirements for the CRFS credential is a BSc in Respiratory Physiology and Science but more likely a Masters or PhD in Respiratory Science. Australian credentialing is maintained by the Australian & New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science. Additionally, Respiratory Scientists in Australia act as consult clinicians for
pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about preparation, mechanism of action, clinical usage and legislation of medications in ...
s in rural areas to improve respiratory function testing access.{{cite journal, vauthors=Burton MA, Burton DL, Simpson MD, Gissing PM, Bowman SL , title=Respiratory function testing: the impact of respiratory scientists on the training and support of primary health care providers. , journal=Respirology , year= 2004 , volume= 9 , issue= 2 , pages= 260–4 , pmid=15182279 , doi=10.1111/j.1440-1843.2004.00563.x , s2cid=26908144


Ireland


Respiratory Scientist

In
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
respiratory care practitioners are called Respiratory Scientists. Their role is primarily that of the RRT-Sleep Disorders Specialist and the Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist. The representative body is the Irish Association of Respiratory Scientists.


United States


Pulmonary Function Technologist

;Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist (RPFT) The registered pulmonary function technologist in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
is an advanced credential awarded by the National Board for Respiratory Care. Primarily the RPFT performs the technical function of
pulmonary function test Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is a complete evaluation of the respiratory system including patient history, physical examinations, and tests of pulmonary function. The primary purpose of pulmonary function testing is to identify the severity ...
ing. ;Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist (CPFT) The certified pulmonary function technologist in the United States is an entry-level credential awarded by the National Board for Respiratory Care. Much like the registered technologist/technician the CPFT performs pulmonary function testing.


References

Respiratory therapy Pulmonary function testing