Perspective: Respiratory Care in Greece by Madeline Ogust, RT This past August I went to Corinth, Greece to visit my friend Maria who is also a respiratory therapist. While there I had the opportunity to see a very different approach to respiratory therapy and the DME (Durable Medical Equipment) Industry. In the US, respiratory care is a licensed, credentialed profession requiring training and oversight. In many other parts of the world, including Greece, that is not the case. For example, a local supplier of oxygen for patients also sells industrial gases and paints. He has no medical background or training. He fills the prescriptions written by doctors, but there is no follow up and minimal instruction is given to the patient. Upon receiving their oxygen, most patients are only given an initial demonstration of how to use the equipment. After that, they’re on their own. There are very few patients who are able to stay at home while using a ventilator. Although this is slowly starting to change, the norm is for patients who are trached and/or on a ventilator to live in a hospital. As more physicians are trained to recognize the need for treatment of sleep apnea and non-invasive ventilation, the use of CPAP and Bilevel Positive Pressure Therapy is growing. However, while more patients can benefit from these therapies, there are very few qualified professionals to assist them. Although there is a public health care system that supports the use of these devices, it appears to be badly flawed. Since anyone can dispense these medical devices, they may not be properly maintained or regulated. In addition, the patient does not receive the benefit of the clinical knowledge that a respiratory therapist can offer. Although hospitals are purchasing equipment with the latest, most advanced technology, very few physicians are knowledgeable enough to take advantage of it. She is working to educate physicians and other healthcare professionals on identifying the need for these medical devices, their proper use and the benefits they can provide. She also wants people to know that patients can be discharged home and, with proper instructional follow up, can be maintained at home on such equipment as a ventilator, therefore improving quality of life. However, there is a lack of continuity of care for patients because their doctors in the hospital are not the same as their local doctors. This creates a communication problem resulting in inadequate out patient follow up care. If there is even the slightest problem, the patient is usually readmitted to the hospital. Often these incidents could have been handled as an out patient, possibly even by a respiratory therapist, which would keep costs down and minimize the risk of infection to the patient. On a good note, respiratory care is starting to emerge in Greece. At the end of October, The European Respiratory Care Association (ERCA) hosted its bi-annual congress in Athens. By exposing physicians and other professional care givers to the potential benefits that respiratory care has to offer, can only give the industry the recognition and respect it deserves, as well as, most importantly, enhance and improve quality of care.