The Clinical Management of Chronic Breathlessness

Learning objectives

• To understand the genesis and subjective experience of breathlessness (including patients’ and carers perspective)
• To understand and be able to apply the Breathing, Thinking, Functioning Model in clinical practice in the management of chronic breathlessness
• To be aware of the potential breathlessness services options and experience in service development of such a service.
• To understand the skills that the multidisciplinary team (including physiotherapist) contribute to improving breathlessness, including therapeutic strategies.
• To understand the impact of management of anxiety in breathlessness (and options in psychological therapies by clinicians).
• To understand the evidence and practical use of pharmacological interventions for chronic breathlessness (including benzodiazepines, opioids and antidepressant therapy.
• Promote the importance of physical activity and pulmonary rehabilitation in the management of breathlessness.

Speakers and contributors

• Dr Helen Ward, West Midlands Respiratory Clinical Director, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
• Steve Jones, Patient President, Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis
• Dr Anna Spathis, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge
• Flavia Swan, Clinical Academic Physiotherapist, University of Hull
• Lizzie Grillo, Highly Specialist Physiotherapist, Royal Brompton Hospital, London
• Dr Karen Heslop-Marshall, Nurse Consultant, The Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne
• Julie Burkin, Occupational Therapist and Lead Practitioner, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge
• Catherine Moffat, Specialist Physiotherapist, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge
• Rachel Tuffnell, Physiotherapist and Doctoral Researcher, Brunel University London
• Professor Morag Farquhar, Professor of Palliative Care Research, University of East Anglia
• Professor Rachael Evans, Professor of Respiratory Medicine / Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician, Centre for Exercise & Rehabilitation Science, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester
• Dr Steve Holmes, GP, The Park Medical Practice, Somerset