Reliability and vailidity of iOS in IPF
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Reliability and validity of impulse oscillometry measurements in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
IRAS ID
280564
Contact name
William Man
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a condition where scar tissue (called fibrosis) builds up in the lungs. It usually gets worse over time. Fibrosis causes the lungs to become stiff, and reduces the amount of oxygen that the lungs can take up. People with IPF complain of worsening breathlessness, which limits their day to day activities.
Lung function tests are breathing tests that measure how well your lungs are working, and are used by doctors to decide whether to start or stop medicines in people with IPF. However, people with IPF tell us that lung function tests require a lot of effort, can make them cough and feel very short of breath. About 1 in 5 people with IPF are unable to perform lung function results accurately. This might unfairly lead to some people with IPF not receiving the right medications or for their medications to be stopped too soon.
Impulse oscillometry (iOS) is a new type of breathing test. It uses sound waves to measure the stiffness of the lung. The test is very quick (30 seconds), does not require any effort from the patient, and only requires a patient to breathe in their usual way. iOS has been used successfully in children who are unable to perform normal lung function tests.
We will assess whether people with IPF can perform iOS tests accurately and to compare their experiences of having iOS tests with their experience of performing current lung function tests. We will also compare whether there is a relationship between iOS tests and the information gathered from the tests currently used by doctors to measure the impact of IPF (lung function tests, exercise tests, lung scans and questionnaires that measure quality of life).
REC name
London - London Bridge Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/LO/0970
Date of REC Opinion
11 Aug 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion