ELF events at ERS Congress 2025

10:30 to 17:30

Room 5A and online

The annual ELF Patient Organisation Networking Day will explore important topics on lung health with the ELF Patient Organisation Network and invited speakers. Registration is required for this event.

17:45 to 19:30

Auditorium

This session will officially open the ERS Congress 2025

08:30 to 10:00

Room 5B

Includes a patient testimonial: Ilaria Galetti

This session will share the latest progress in lung transplantation, including how donor lungs are cared for, how doctors manage rejection and the development of new therapies to protect transplanted lungs.

10:00 to 18:00

Members of the public and ERS Congress 2025 attendees can take part in free lung health testing outside the RAI Amsterdam conference centre and speak to the team about the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign and holding your own event.

11:00 to 11:45

Studio

Chaired by patient representatives, Steve Jones and Helen Parks, this session will explore why many patients around the world still struggle to access pulmonary rehabilitation, a valuable treatment that helps people with lung conditions. Experts will discuss the challenges patients face and ways to make this care more available to everyone.

12:45 to 13:45

Forum

Includes a patient testimonial: Justine Hamaide

This session will give an overview of the most important progress in bronchiectasis from the past year. Patients and doctors will hear about new ways of understanding the disease, improved diagnostic tools and the latest therapies being tested. Justine will also share their experience and experts will discuss how these advances can lead to better care and outcomes.

13:45 to 14:30

Auditorium

Includes a patient testimonial: Stien van Meerloo-Meintema and Hans van Meerloo

This session will introduce the first guidelines on using telemedicine to support patients on home mechanical ventilation. It will explain what the research shows so far, share patient experiences and discuss how telemedicine could improve care in the future.

14:30 to 15:15

Auditorium

Includes a patient testimonial: Ilaria Galetti

This session will present new European guidelines on how to screen, diagnose and treat connective tissue diseases that affect the lungs. Ilaria will share their experience and experts will explain how these guidelines aim to improve and standardise care for people living with these conditions.

08:30 to 09:15

Room 7A

Includes a patient testimonial: Tanja Hedberg, Eliza Kompatsiari and Alan Timothy

This session will present the 2025 European Respiratory Society guidelines for managing bronchiectasis in adults. Patients will share their experiences and experts will explain the latest recommendations on both non-drug approaches and medical treatments to help improve care and outcomes.

09:15 to 10:00

Room 7A

Includes a patient testimonial

This session will introduce new international guidelines on diagnosing primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). Patients will share their experiences and experts will explain what PCD is, why diagnosis matters and the tests used to confirm it. The session will also discuss challenges in places with limited resources and future directions for improving care.

13:00 to 13:45

Studio

Includes patient speakers

This session will focus on patients’ experiences with mental health during different stages of their lung health journey. It will explore how support can differ around the world and discuss ways to improve access to mental health care for people living with lung conditions.

13:45 to 15:15

Room 5C

Includes patient testimonials: Andrea Jensen, Mahesh Lohar, Vicki Maylan, Mascha van Oers

This session will explore how real-world data from patients is helping develop responsible artificial intelligence (AI) tools for respiratory care. Patients will share their experiences and experts will discuss how AI is being used worldwide to improve diagnosis, treatment and self-management for conditions like asthma, COPD, lung cancer and tuberculosis, while addressing ethical and practical challenges.

13:45 to 15:15

Elicium 2

Includes patient testimonials: Mariaelena Alioto, Nurhayati Ibrahim, Resty Musigula, Sandra Baxendell, Adnan Wshah, Asunción Manrique, Nancy Elena Rivas Elizondo, Maria Clara Castellões and Tom Bermingham

This session will highlight the impact of respiratory diseases worldwide, including how early-life factors affect lung health and ways to prevent illness, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Experts will discuss pneumonia, global strategies from the World Health Organization (WHO) and lessons from climate change advocacy that can help improve health outcomes.

14:15 to 15:00

Studio

This session will review major advances in understanding and treating bronchiectasis over the past decade. Experts will discuss new insights into the disease, recent clinical trials leading to improved therapies and emerging treatments that go beyond antibiotics, highlighting how these developments are improving care for patients worldwide.

15:30 to 17:00

Room 7A

Includes a patient testimonial: Nina Kobler

This session will explore how pulmonary hypertension affects patients differently around the world. Experts will discuss its global prevalence, challenges in diagnosis and treatment and how social inequality, environmental pollution and climate change can impact patients. Nina will share their personal experience, highlighting the real-life effects of the condition.

07:00 meet, 07:30 start

The Take the Active Option 5k run and 2.5k walk returns this year in Amsterdam. This event will raise money for the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign!

10:15 to 11:00

Auditorium, World Village

This session brings together patients and professionals to discuss how climate change and natural disasters affect lung health. Participants will share experiences, learn about ongoing projects and explore ways to collaborate, with a focus on real-world impacts and community needs.

10:15 to 11:45

Room 5C

Includes a patient testimonial: Noelle Morgan

This session will explore how patients with chronic lung conditions can manage their health in ways that suit their individual needs. Experts will discuss personalised treatment approaches, how self-management can be integrated into everyday care and the challenges and opportunities for patients around the world. Noelle will also share their experiences to highlight real-life perspectives.

10:15 to 11:45

Room 5D

Includes a patient testimonial: Ed Powell

This session will focus on helping young people with chronic lung conditions move from child to adult healthcare. Experts will discuss what is already known, the challenges adolescents face, strategies to support adherence and mental well-being, and how to set up effective transition services. Patients will share their experiences to highlight real-life perspectives.

11:00 to 11:45

Studio

This session will explore the important role of family members and caregivers in supporting patients. Experts will discuss the challenges they face and the support they need, highlighting the impact of caregiving on families’ health and well-being.

11:00 to 11:45

Room 5B

Includes a patient testimonial: Janette Rawlinson

This session will present updated guidelines on how to assess patients’ fitness for lung cancer treatments. Experts will explain how doctors evaluate overall health and lung function, consider other medical conditions and use rehabilitation to help patients safely undergo treatment. Janette will also share their experiences to highlight real-life perspectives.

11:15 to 12:00

Auditorium, World Village

13:45 to 15:15

Elicium 2

Includes patient testimonials: Steve Jones, Alison Zheng and others.

This session will explore how interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are diagnosed, treated and managed in different regions. Patients will share their experiences and experts will discuss cultural, racial and regional differences in care, including palliative support, early diagnosis and personalised treatment plans to improve quality of life.

13:45 to 15:15

Room 5B

Includes patient testimonials

This session will explore how respiratory diseases affect newborns and infants worldwide. Patients and families will share their experiences, while experts discuss the causes, global differences in care, and strategies to improve access to treatments and technologies, ensuring better outcomes for children everywhere.

15:30 to 17:00

Elicium 2

Includes a patient speaker

This session will explore how care for patients with the rare lung disease LAM varies around the world. Patients will share their experiences, and experts will discuss how patient involvement, international networks, new technologies and advanced diagnostics can help improve care, standardise treatment and support research for LAM globally.

15:30 to 17:00

Room 5D

Includes a patient testimonial: Vicki Maylan

This session will explore how sleep-related breathing problems, like obstructive and central sleep apnoea, can affect men and women differently. Vicki will share their experiences, and experts will discuss how these differences influence symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, as well as highlight areas where more research is needed.

09:15 to 11:45

Room E103/104

This session will focus on ways to protect and maintain lung health before disease develops. Experts and patients will discuss key strategies to prevent chronic lung diseases, including reducing tobacco use, improving air quality, early detection, and community-based care. Innovative prevention initiatives, such as Healthy Lungs for Life and policies targeting youth tobacco use, will also be highlighted.

09:30 to 11:00

Room E107/108

Includes patient speakers: Liam Galvin, Debra Montague, Mikaela Odemyr and Zena Powell

This session will explore how patients and their families can actively shape research and clinical innovations in respiratory care. Experts and patients will discuss practical ways to include patient voices, work collaboratively and ensure that new treatments and technologies meet real-world needs in different communities.

09:30 to 11:30

Room E102

This session will explore how the European Reference Network for rare lung diseases (ERN-LUNG) aims to improve care for patients. Experts will discuss initiatives for learning, collaboration and using technologies like artificial intelligence to enhance diagnosis and treatment, as well as ways to make the network more interactive and relevant for patients.

10:15 to 11:00

Studio

Includes patient speakers: Dominique Hamerlijnck, Eliza Kompatsiari, Lisa McNeil and Phil Taverner

This session will explore how patients and healthcare professionals communicate during clinic visits. Experts and patients will discuss ways to improve understanding, ensure patients’ concerns are heard and strengthen the partnership between patients and their care teams.

11:15 to 12:45

Room E107/108

This session will explore how research results can be used to make a real difference in lung health. Experts will share examples of successful projects, explain how research can influence future studies and healthcare practices, and highlight ways to ensure findings benefit patients and communities.