ArticleBMJ open respiratory research2024
The diagnostic pathway for patients with interstitial lung disease: a mixed-methods study of patients and physicians.
Article in BMJ open respiratory research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Impact of time to diagnosis in patients with progressive fibrotic ILD: a systematic review.BMJ open respiratory research · 2026Pooled it
- Clinical Utility of an FDA-Authorized Artificial Intelligence Imaging Platform in Interstitial Lung Disease Diagnosis.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Visibility of breathlessness in fibrotic interstitial lung disease: perceptions of international healthcare professionals.ERJ open research · 2026Article
- Integrating interstitial lung abnormality detection into lung cancer screening: a mixed methods approach for care pathway development.BMJ open respiratory research · 2026Article
- Reframing AI for Rare Disease Recognition.Research square · 2026Article
- GEN-KnowRD: Reframing AI for Rare Disease Recognition.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Latin American expert opinion paper on the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Association of prior interstitial lung disease awareness with knowledge, attitudes, and practices in Saudi Arabia: a national cross-sectional study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Observational
- The benefits of a rapid diagnostic primary care circuit for interstitial lung disease.NPJ primary care respiratory medicine · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThe diagnostic process for patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILD) remains complex. The aim of this study was to characterise the diagnostic care pathway and identify barriers and potential solutions to access a timely and accurate ILD diagnosis.
designThis mixed-method study was comprised of a quantitative chart review, patient and physician surveys and focus groups.
resultsChart review was completed for 97 patients. Median time from symptom onset to ILD diagnosis was 12.0 (IQR 20.5) months, with 46% diagnosed within 1 year. Time from first computed tomography (CT) scan to respirology referral was 2.4 (IQR 21.2) months. Referrals with a prior CT were triaged sooner than referrals without (1.7±1.6 months vs 3.9±3.3 months, p=0.013, 95% CI 0.48 to 2.94). On patient surveys (n=70), 51% felt that their lung disease was not recognised early enough. Commonly reported challenges to timely diagnosis included delayed presentation to primary care, initial misdiagnoses and long wait-times for specialists. Forty-five per cent of physicians (n=20) identified diagnostic delays, attributed to delayed presentations to primary care (58%), initial misdiagnoses (67%) and delayed chest imaging (75%). Themes from patient and respirologist focus groups included patient-related, healthcare provider-related and system-related factors leading to delays in diagnosis.
conclusionsThis mixed-methods study identified patient and system-related factors that contribute to diagnostic delays for patients with ILD, with most delays occurring prior to respirology referral. ILD awareness and education, earlier presentation to primary care, expedited access to chest imaging and earlier referral to respirology may expedite diagnosis.
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