Overview
Evidence-based recommendations on the early use of digital technologies for applying algorithms to spirometry to support asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnosis in primary care and community diagnostic centres.
Last reviewed: 2 April 2026
Next review: This guidance will be reviewed if there is new evidence that is likely to change the recommendations.
NICE has developed tools and resources, in association with relevant stakeholders, to help organisations put this guidance into practice. The evidence generation plan gives further information on the prioritised evidence gaps and outcomes, ongoing studies and potential real-world data sources. It includes how the evidence gaps could be resolved through real-world evidence studies.
Guidance development process
NICE HealthTech guidance evaluates digital technologies, diagnostics and medical devices (including artificial intelligence). It provides evidence-based recommendations about how safe and effective these technologies are, and their cost effectiveness. The guidance supports healthcare professionals and commissioners to ensure that patients get the best possible treatments. NICE aims to promote innovations that meet the needs of patients and the healthcare system.
This guidance has been developed as early-use HealthTech guidance, for HealthTech products that could address an unmet need in the NHS and need more evidence to support routine use.
Find out more on the NICE webpage on HealthTech guidance.
Your responsibility
This guidance represents the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, healthcare professionals are expected to take this guidance fully into account, and specifically any special arrangements relating to the introduction of new interventional procedures. The guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer.
All problems (adverse events) related to a medicine or medical device used for treatment or in a procedure should be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using the Yellow Card Scheme.
Commissioners and/or providers have a responsibility to implement the guidance, in their local context, in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations. Nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties. Providers should ensure that governance structures are in place to review, authorise and monitor the introduction of new devices and procedures.
Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.