Abstract
It is likely that the burden of breathlessness in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) is much higher than has been estimated
using calculations of disease burden and expected prevalence of the symptom. However, most breathlessness research has been
conducted in high-income countries and may not be relevant to LMICs. To address this issue, we convened an international
breathlessness and global health workshop. Our multidisciplinary team of experts (global palliative care, respiratory medicine,
epidemiology, palliative medicine, psychiatry, sport science, global public health and health economics) met at the University of
Hull for a two-day workshop in May 2024. We had 8 presentations on key issues relevant to global breathlessness research. Our
discussions focussed on unexplored questions and links between breathlessness and other health and social issues, in order to
develop an agenda for global breathlessness research. Our discussions highlighted (1) the global burden of breathlessness
generated by a range of lifestyle, environmental, disease and poverty-related factors, (2) the need for a global healthcare workforce
that can address modifiable causes and the symptoms of breathlessness together using an integrated approach, (3) the value of
information over clinical effectiveness when considering implementation of breathlessness self-management interventions, (4)
Addressing non-clinical outcomes which are meaningful to individuals and families and (5) Developing a language for global
breathlessness research which does not assume that the cause of breathlessness is diagnosed or treated. We present our
discussions and recommendations for new approaches and paradigms for global breathlessness research to generate discussion—
not to provide empirical evidence.
using calculations of disease burden and expected prevalence of the symptom. However, most breathlessness research has been
conducted in high-income countries and may not be relevant to LMICs. To address this issue, we convened an international
breathlessness and global health workshop. Our multidisciplinary team of experts (global palliative care, respiratory medicine,
epidemiology, palliative medicine, psychiatry, sport science, global public health and health economics) met at the University of
Hull for a two-day workshop in May 2024. We had 8 presentations on key issues relevant to global breathlessness research. Our
discussions focussed on unexplored questions and links between breathlessness and other health and social issues, in order to
develop an agenda for global breathlessness research. Our discussions highlighted (1) the global burden of breathlessness
generated by a range of lifestyle, environmental, disease and poverty-related factors, (2) the need for a global healthcare workforce
that can address modifiable causes and the symptoms of breathlessness together using an integrated approach, (3) the value of
information over clinical effectiveness when considering implementation of breathlessness self-management interventions, (4)
Addressing non-clinical outcomes which are meaningful to individuals and families and (5) Developing a language for global
breathlessness research which does not assume that the cause of breathlessness is diagnosed or treated. We present our
discussions and recommendations for new approaches and paradigms for global breathlessness research to generate discussion—
not to provide empirical evidence.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 26 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Sept 2024 |