Streamlining Interstitial Lung Disease Care: An Audit of Pulmonary Rehab Referral Pathways

Le résumé fourni par la source

Background: There remain substantial barriers to timely pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) for Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) despite its benefit being well established. Aims: This audit aims to evaluate the current pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) referral pathway in a tertiary Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) centre, identifying targets within the process for improvement. Method: A retrospective audit of medical records from March to September 2024. It examined referrals to the ILD Clinical Nurse Specialist, referrals for PR and PR completion. Data was extracted from the electronic health record system. Results: 238 patients were included within this audit. 61 (25.6%) were referred to the CNS clinic, 55 (23.1%) had a PR discussion, 37 (15.5%) were referred for PR, and 10 (4.2%) completed their PR programme. Additionally, 6 (2.5%) were in the process of finishing PR, 12 (5%) were awaiting starting the PR course, and 6 (2.5%) declined PR. Notably, patients with a diagnosis of Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis (PPF)/Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) patients had significantly higher CNS (90.1%) and PR (70.6%) referral rates. Conclusion: This audit identified deficiencies within the pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) pathway for Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) patients, despite higher referral rates in patients with PPF/IPF. Serving a large and geographically diverse ILD population, this tertiary centre demonstrated considerable regional variability in PR wait times, indicating resource disparities and a potential lack of consistent awareness regarding patient trajectory. Further work is needed to explore regional PR service inequities.

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