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Diagnostic spirometry

Transforming the clinical pathway for diagnostic spirometry with clinical decision
support software technology
Current challenges facing diagnostic spirometry services

Breathlessness is a common but complex presentation to primary care, and delays in appropriate investigation can seriously affect patient outcomes.

Guidelines recommend spirometry for all symptomatic patients with suspected COPD – to confirm diagnosis, determine disease stage, or to rule out COPD, so that other causes like cardiac disease can be identified. However shortages of trained staff have led to long waiting times and delayed treatment. The NHS Long-Term Plan calls for earlier diagnosis, reduced avoidable admissions, and more efficient digital-first models of care.

Emerging digital solutions, such as LungHealth® clinical decision support software, offer opportunities to streamline spirometry pathways, improve diagnostic accuracy, and support timely, evidence-based management for patients with breathlessness.

LungHealth guided consultation

Challenges facing diagnostic spirometry

Waiting list
Over ~1 million patients waiting for spirometry support
Lack of ARTP trained staff
Lack of ARTP trained staff – NHS vacancy rate was 6.7% in 2025 and growing
Poor quality spirometry
Poor quality spirometry, leading to increased number of follow up reviews
COPD Diagnosis
COPD Diagnosis – 19% of patients with normal spirometry remain on COPD registers or receive inappropriate treatment
Current respiratory pathway
Can’t provide high-quality, timely diagnostics and treatment to support patients
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The Need
Ensuring that the breathless or otherwise symptomatic patient with suspected COPD is diagnosed correctly. After diagnosis patients receive the for treatment for disease severity
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Solution
These needs may be met through the delivery of effective, high quality spirometry, alongside a structured clinical consultation
LungHealth guided consultation
LungHealth® pathway for diagnostic spirometry: combines intelligent clinical decision support software with lung function testing

LungHealth® has developed a bespoke pathway that integrates clinically validated NHS Framework listed, DTAC and ORCHA accredited clinical decision support software with Spirometry/FeNO testing.

This pathway is designed to meet current national needs for diagnostic spirometry, enabling earlier and more accurate diagnosis for patients presenting with breathlessness.

Accurate COPD Diagnosis
LungHealth® intelligent algorithms integrate findings from a structured clinical assessment with advanced interpretation of spirometry testing
Asthma Identification
Intelligent interpretation of pre and post bronchodilator spirometry intra-consultation, FeNO and interpretation of changes in spirometry longitudinally over multiple consultations
Enhanced Education and Training
Built-in educational prompts throughout the consultation guide and upskill healthcare professionals in evidence-based COPD management
Accurate COPD Staging
LungHealth® algorithms intelligently stages COPD according to the GOLD guidelines
Seamless EHR connectivity
LungHealth® generates electronic consultation reports that integrate directly into commonly used UK EHR systems, including automatic population of fields required for the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF)
Improved patient safety
Medical alerts, developed with input from consultant respiratory physicians, nurse specialists, and patients, highlight clinical “red flags” and prompt further assessment when needed
LungHealth®

LungHealth® software provides clinical context to each spirometry test by integrating symptoms, medical history, and intelligent interpretation. It guides nonspecialist staff to accurately diagnose COPD and/or asthma, identifies when alternative causes of breathlessness, such as cardiac conditions may require referral, and automatically stages all patients diagnosed with COPD.

Spirometry

LungHealth® software is compatible with spirometry data from all major manufacturers, including emerging “AI spirometry” technologies. When integrated with AI-based systems, LungHealth® adds clinical context to each review, helping to validate and support the use of novel diagnostic technologies.

Referral

Patients are referred back to their practice following this review with any requirement for further investigations, management or patient follow-up being highlighted within the GP letter, which is created automatically from the LungHealth® system.

LungHealth® and Spirometry can be delivered by paramedical staff (e.g. Healthcare assistants) trained in performing ARTP standard spirometry within a 50-minute appointment. The results from both the Spirometry test and LungHealth® review would be overseen by a specialist member of staff, by reviewing the results on an IT portal.

Improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce misclassification

Enables virtual specialist review to streamline workflow, increase productivity, and expand patient throughput

Track data with LungHealth® Management Dashboard

LungHealth® is connected to a real-time electronic dashboard, enabling identification of clinically “high-risk” patients, review of diagnoses, and oversight of clinical activity, while supporting service evaluation and audit.

Support non-specialist staff in delivering high quality, guideline-level care

Reduce waiting lists and backlogs, ensuring timely access to treatment

Impact of LungHealth® Clinical Decision Support Software on patient reviews in primary care published in Nature

View full list of published evidence base for the LungHealth® Clinical Decision Support System software

Delivering measurable benefits for the NHS

 

LungHealth® Clinical Decision Support software presents a scalable, evidence-based solution designed to enhance respiratory care delivery across the NHS. It supports objectives by improving patient outcomes, optimising workforce utilisation, and increasing service capacity.
Improved clinical quality
Increases diagnostic accuracy, reduces misclassification, and ensures consistent delivery of guideline-based care, supporting timely diagnosis and treatment
Increased capacity and efficiency
Virtual specialist review streamlines workflows, increases productivity, and expands patient throughput, helping to reduce waiting lists and backlogs
Operational oversight and governance
Real-time MDT Management Dashboard supports identification of high-risk patients, service monitoring, audit, and performance evaluation
Workforce optimisation
HCAs and Band 5 Nurses conduct high-quality respiratory reviews with confidence, reducing reliance on specialist staff, easing workforce pressures and operational costs.
Consistent service delivery
Scalable across ICB’s, enabling consistent high-quality respiratory care in diverse regions and helping to reduce health inequalities
Technology integration
When combined with AI-enabled spirometry, LungHealth® accelerates diagnostic workflows and improves throughput, delivering faster patient access to care

Discover how LungHealth® can support your workforce and improve patient outcomes

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