EAR-FEMOS Version 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluating the Accuracy and Reproducibility of the FEMOS Classification System in Diagnosing and Grading Expiratory Airways Collapse
IRAS ID
264005
Contact name
James Hull
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Large airway collapse (LAC) is one of the clinical manifestations that mainly lung disease patients as well as other clinical populations may experience. LAC signifies the narrowing of the airways connecting the lungs to the larynx (i.e. trachea and main bronchi) and that might explain symptoms such as exertional dyspnoea, wheezing and/or the general airflow limitation that these patients often experience during their daily activities. In clinical practice there is no well reported relationship with the currently used methodologies to assess LAC by physicians and clinical diagnosis vary significantly. For that reason, a multi-dimensional classification system (FEMOS) that assesses and categorises airway narrowing by giving a score has been produced to standardise the procedure of diagnosis among clinicians. However, FEMOS has not been established as a standard practice to evaluate LAC and thus, further research is required. Therefore, the reproducibility and reliability of FEMOS for use in evaluating and diagnosing LAC among respiratory physicians in clinical practice is warranted.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the intra- and inter-physician variability in grading expiratory airways narrowing using FEMOS. This evaluation will be performed among experienced (≥ 5 years) and less experienced (< 5 years) respiratory physicians. Thirty patients will be consented to use their bronchoscopy video recordings which will be collected as part of their routine clinical care. The video recordings from bronchoscopy will be randomly distributed to four respiratory physicians two experienced (≥ 5 years) and two less experienced (< 5 years) to grade them according to FEMOS. Data will be randomly distributed and assessed again two months later.REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/LO/0282
Date of REC Opinion
4 May 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion