Do you have a lung condition and experience of cardiopulmonary exercise testing?

A group of health professionals are working together within a European Respiratory Society (ERS) guideline group to develop a technical standard which will set out the best way to complete exercise testing for people with a chronic lung condition.

We are looking for people with experience of cardiopulmonary exercise testing to input their views and make sure the new standard is appropriate.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is used by doctors to assess how a person’s heart and lungs perform when they are resting and during exercise. The test can help doctors to diagnose many different heart and lung conditions, and can also help with rehabilitation following illness. It typically involves completing some incremental exercise on an exercise bike or treadmill, while breathing and heart rates are monitored.

The Task Force aims to agree on one or two cycle/treadmill cardiopulmonary exercise testing methods which will allow people of all ages and with different lung conditions and various degrees of impairment to be assessed in the same way. The standard will be based on a review of published literature and a consensus meeting where the perspectives of healthcare professionals and patients will be considered.

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• A chronic lung condition and experiences of cardiopulmonary exercise testing, plus
• Expertise and/or an interest in exercise physiology, and
• The ability to communicate in English (spoken and written).

Would like to be involved in some of the following activities:

• Participation at the Task Force consensus meeting in June 2017 in Lausanne, Switzerland (one person). Date to be confirmed. Expenses will be covered by ELF.
• Helping to develop a questionnaire to gather views from people with experience of cardiopulmonary exercise testing across Europe.
• Reviewing drafts of the technical standard.

If you are interested in getting involved please email Jeanette Boyd for further information.