Work Package Nº 6
HES feasibility study and Respiratory Health Examination Survey in the Elderly (RHSE).
Objectives
- To develop a questionnaire (module) and its software to be used in future HES (Health Examination Survey) using innovative methods of data collection and transmission.
- To recommend the essential measurements (spirometry, pulsioximetry, weight, height, exhaled NO, and glucose) and its technological characteristics to be included in future HES useful for the diagnosis of COPD and asthma.
- To carry out a HES Feasibility Study on innovative methods (sensors) to perform the essential measurements recommended using MOTOROLAHEALTH technology in five small European geographical areas. To perform a specific Respiratory Health Survey in the Elderly - RHSE (aged 65 and over) in five small European geographical areas (Sweden, Germany, Italy – 2 areas- and Spain).
- To explore the feasibility of taking blood samples to measure total IgE, specific IgE and to create a DNA databank in the HES feasibility study and to make recommendations in future HES.
Description of work
The HES Feasibility Study and the Respiratory Health Survey in the Elderly will be carried out in five European geographical areas of. Spain (Barcelona), Sweden (Uppsala), Germany (Ulm) and Italy (Pisa and Rome). The HES Feasibility Study will include children and (6-15) and adults (16+) and the sample size will be from 100-150 individuals according to a specific protocol. In addition to the HES Feasibility Study in these countries a Respiratory Health Survey in the Elderly including individuals aged 65 and over will be performed. In this study each country will define a specific geographical area within the metropolitan areas where the partners are based for selecting individuals to be included in the study. The final sample will be representative of these geographical areas A detailed description of the characteristics of the geographical areas and the sampling methods will be provided by each centre and included in the protocol. . Sampling methods: The sample will consist of non institutionalized population living in private houses in the geographical area as defined above. The sampling procedure will be multi-stage stratified random sample. In the first stage, each area will be divided in sub areas according to population statistics. The second stage will be households. All households in the area will be listed and a sub-sample will be randomly selected. Individuals within the selected households will be the third stage. All eligible members within a household will be listed and a sub sample will be selected on the basis of gender, age. Depending of the response rates, we estimate that the sample size will be of approximately 500 households and 1000 individuals in Uppsala (Sweden), Ulm (Germany), Pisa (Italy), and Rome (Italy.). In Barcelona (Spain) the geographical area will be the whole metropolitan area of Barcelona and the sample size will be of approximately 2000 individuals.
