Abstract
Introduction: There are 23 specialised services in England that support accurate diagnosis, monitoring, and management of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and related comorbidities. Recent advances have led to earlier identification and diagnosis with increased access to treatments. We explored ILD specialised service provision and workforce in England.
Method
An electronic survey was sent to 23 ILD services.
Results: 22/23 ILD specialised services responded. In 2022, ILD services received 10,358 new referrals. Of these, 2883 (27.8%) patients were initiated on antifibrotic therapy. Workforce varied in time dedicated to ILD (table 1). The waiting times from receipt of referral to first appointment ranged from 5 to 33 weeks. Supportive care services were accessible to most patients with ILD.
(see Table 1)
Conclusion: There is significant variability in ILD service provision and workforce across the ILD specialised services leading to unwarranted variation in waiting times for diagnosis and access to treatment. Approaches to standardise care and ensure adequate workforce, according to caseload, are needed.
Method
An electronic survey was sent to 23 ILD services.
Results: 22/23 ILD specialised services responded. In 2022, ILD services received 10,358 new referrals. Of these, 2883 (27.8%) patients were initiated on antifibrotic therapy. Workforce varied in time dedicated to ILD (table 1). The waiting times from receipt of referral to first appointment ranged from 5 to 33 weeks. Supportive care services were accessible to most patients with ILD.
(see Table 1)
Conclusion: There is significant variability in ILD service provision and workforce across the ILD specialised services leading to unwarranted variation in waiting times for diagnosis and access to treatment. Approaches to standardise care and ensure adequate workforce, according to caseload, are needed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | PA2302 |
| Journal | European Respiratory Journal |
| Volume | 64 |
| Issue number | Suppl 68 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published online - 30 Oct 2024 |
Bibliographical note
This article was presented at the 2024 ERS Congress, in session “Innovative perspectives on cellular mechanisms in lung diseases”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).