Breathlessness

We've partnered with the James Lind Alliance to determine the top 10 priorities for research into breathlessness.

Breathlessness affects everyone with a lung condition. And yet nowhere near enough is known about what causes people to lose their breath. 

Here's what people with breathlessness want to see future research prioritise: 

  1. How should the health service be designed in order to best diagnose, treat and support people with breathlessness, during both emergencies and long-term care?

  2. How can support for breathlessness be tailored to meet the needs of people with learning difficulties, disabilities and different ethnic and social backgrounds?

  3. What non-drug treatments are effective for reducing breathlessness, and how are they best delivered?

  4. How can people living with breathlessness be supported to manage their symptoms better?

  5. What is the best way of healthcare professionals to assess and diagnose breathlessness?

  6. How can people living with breathlessness be supported to know when and how they should seek help for their breathlessness?

  7. How can health professionals address the discomfort and distress of breathlessness as part of their interactions with people with breathlessness?

  8. What are the best ways to manage anxiety, fear and panic when experiencing breathlessness?

  9. How can breathlessness be prevented from developing, getting worse, or reversed?

  10. How can breathlessness be improved for people with multiple conditions that contribute to it?

James Lind Priority Setting Partnership

Asthma + Lung UK have partnered with the James Lind Alliance to form a priority setting partnership (PSP); a collaborative effort between people with lived experience of a lung condition, clinicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals  to determine and set the top 10 priorities for future research into breathlessness. 

Thank you 

To everyone who has taken their time to share what their experience with breathlessness is like and how they think research can help. What you've shared will go a long way to informing the future of research and innovation, which will improve treatment, care, and the way breathlessness is understood. Thank you.