title: [The feasibility of screening for COPD and asthma in the general population].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are very few surveys devoted to the prevalence of asthma and COPD in the general population. The Motorola Health System has been developed to make such surveys easier.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The main objective was to assess the acceptability and efficacy of the Motorola Health system in collecting health data at home in the context of an epidemiological study of respiratory health. The secondary objective was to determine whether a home-based survey would lead to a higher participation rate than a hospital-based survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and eighty-three individuals were selected from the electoral rolls of the 15th district of Marseille and randomly divided into two groups: home-based and hospital-based. The protocol included a questionnaire, several measurements: height, weight, blood pressure, spirometry and pulse oxymetry, and blood sampling. All data were transferred to a portable computer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data acquisition and transfer worked well. Among the 232 subjects from the home-based survey, 62 (26.7%) participated, whereas only 36 (14.3%) of the 251 subjects from the hospital-based group did so (P<0.001). In an additional telephone survey, participants (13.6%) and non-participants (11.0%) had the same (P<0.9) prevalence of asthma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Motorola Health System allowed accurate data acquisition and transfer in the context of an epidemiological survey of respiratory health. A home-based survey gave a higher participation rate than a hospital-based one.
authors.affiliation: Clinique des bronches, allergie et sommeil, hôpital Nord, chemin des Bourrelly, 13015 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palot
authors.affiliation: Clinique des bronches, allergie et sommeil, hôpital Nord, chemin des Bourrelly, 13015 Marseille, France; Aix-Marseille université, 58, boulevard Charles-Livon, 13284 Marseille, France. Electronic address: denis-andre.charpin@ap-hm.fr.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Charpin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Asthma; Asthme; Bronchopneumopathie chronique obstructive; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Dépistage; Epidemiology; Screening; Telemedicine; Télémédicine; Épidémiologie