07 Oct 2024

Diagnosing Respiratory Issues Early – “My respiratory health has improved – that’s thanks to the diagnosis…”

Digital healthcare abstract artwork.

Respiratory disease affects one in five people across the country and is the third biggest cause of death in England after cancer and cardiovascular disease – with lung cancer, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) being the most prevalent respiratory conditions. i

In some areas of Greater Manchester, admissions for (COPD) are more than twice the national average for emergency admissions and almost double the national mortality rate. ii

COPD impacts the lungs and causes breathing difficulties and is a common condition that mainly affects middle-aged or older adults who either smoke or have a history of smoking. Breathing problems often gradually worsen over time if the condition is left untreated, which can have an adverse impact on normal activities for the patient. iii

The Health Innovation Accelerator has been established to rapidly improve the diagnosis and treatment of disease across the 2.8m Greater Manchester population, with a focus on specific disease areas looking at Greater Manchester’s major morbidities. This includes liver, heart and lung disease including lung cancer, chronic kidney disease and the treatment of asthma and COPD.

We spoke with Debbie, a patient from Salford, who was diagnosed with COPD by her General Practitioner (GP) about the importance of getting an accurate and early diagnosis, and how this has impacted on her life.

Debbie’s Story – “My respiratory health has improved – that’s thanks to the diagnosis…”

Living with COPD has meant that Debbie from Salford has struggled with her lung health for years, impacting on and limiting her daily activities. After struggling to go up and down the stairs Debbie decided to consult her GP and get checked.

“Just by sitting and listening to me talk, they realised that there was a more of a problem. So, we got the (lung health) test done and diagnosed me.”

Having an accurate diagnosis of her lung health has meant that Debbie can now live with knowledge of her condition, which has had an extremely positive impact on her mental health and overall wellbeing. This has also allowed Debbie to make necessary changes to her life, such as her accommodation, to help improve her condition and maintain a healthy lifestyle. She explains how the diagnosis helped her:

“It helped me get extra points for housing, which meant I’m now on the ground floor. Before I had to climb two or three flights of stairs. It was just getting that diagnosis. You understand what’s going on with your body that little bit more.”

Following her diagnosis, Debbie is now an advocate for lung health checks and has helped friends to consult their own GP to find out more about their own respiratory health.

“I’ve got a friend who was recently diagnosed with COPD. It’s the same with any condition. You’re better off knowing and once you know, then you can work around things. People are scared of going to the GP to find out things because they’re scared of what it’s going.”

Spirometry testing is key to diagnosis of asthma and COPD and is recommended by NICE as part of the diagnostic pathway. However, there is currently a lack of capacity, equipment, and staff with the relevant training in the NHS to conduct this test, particularly in the community setting.

The COVID pandemic has hindered attempts to improve diagnostic testing for these patients and current backlogs are at an all-time high. Therefore, Health Innovation Manchester, working in partnership with AstraZeneca UK, are looking at the feasibility of a new remote spirometry service as a way of addressing these backlogs.

This project has been developed as part of a Joint Working initiative between Health Innovation Manchester and AstraZeneca UK.

Read more about the Remote Spirometry project here.

Further information about the Health Innovation Accelerator:

The Health Innovation Accelerator has been established to rapidly improve the diagnosis and treatment of disease across the 2.8m Greater Manchester population. The Accelerator encompasses two projects, the Advanced Diagnostics Accelerator and the DEVOTE programme, delivered through a partnership between Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), The University of Manchester, and industry partners.

Read more about the Health Innovation Accelerator here.

References:

GB-59038 Date of preparation September 2024
GB-59038 Expiration Date: 09/09/2026

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