An observational study in COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and Airway Disease, sponsored by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. Recruiting at 2 sites in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-27.
Sponsored by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust · Observational
Airway disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is usually diagnosed through breathing tests like spirometry. However, it requires people to blow forcefully into a machine several times which can be uncomfortable and difficult for some patients.
This study is looking at whether newer technologies and other breathing tests can help diagnose COPD as accurately as standard testing. We will compare these tests in both hospital and community settings. We are interested in understanding how practical and cost-effective these tests are, including how easy they are to use and how comfortable they are for patients to perform.
Long-term lung conditions such as COPD affect around one in five people and are the third leading cause of death in England. These conditions are often not picked up until they have reached an advanced stage, and sometimes people are given an incorrect diagnosis. They cause breathing difficulties due to lung damage, which cannot be reversed in the case of COPD.
At present, lung conditions are usually diagnosed through breathing tests like spirometry. These tests require people to blow forcefully into a machine several times, which can be uncomfortable and difficult for some patients. They also rely on specialist equipment and must be carried out and interpreted by highly trained professionals. Because there aren't enough of these professionals, waiting lists can be long. Even when spirometry is possible, it does not always detect lung disease early.
Two national NHS programmes - the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) programme and the Lung Cancer Screening (LCS) programme - create opportunities to find lung disease earlier. However, the same challenges with spirometry remain.
Recently, new types of lung tests have been developed. These tests may be simpler, quicker, and cheaper to use, but they are not yet part of standard NHS care. We need to find out whether these new tests can identify lung disease as well as, or better than, spirometry, especially at earlier stages. If they can, they may help prevent further lung damage and improve health outcomes. It is also important to understand how practical and cost-effective these tests are, and whether they could be used widely in different healthcare settings.
To explore this, we will carry out the new tests alongside traditional lung function tests in both community and hospital settings. We will invite adults with possible COPD who:
Participants may also be asked to complete short surveys or optional interviews to share their experiences. Healthcare professionals working in testing centres will be invited to do the same. We are especially keen to hear from people who live with lung conditions or who experience health inequalities, so that we can understand how easy the tests are to use, how comfortable they are, and whether they could work well across different healthcare settings.
5,520 studies on the registry are indexed under Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; 856 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 300 is above the median of 158 across 1,497 observational studies indexed under Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive.
Browse Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive studies →University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is the lead sponsor of 150 studies on the registry; 35 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Adults with a clinical suspicion of COPD/airway disease referred for spirometry testing at local community diagnostic centres or for lung function testing at secondary care hospitals. Additionally, adults attending for a low-dose CT scan as part of the lung cancer screening programme or adults attending local community groups or events
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe out, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe out, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Adults with suspected COPD/airway disease referred for spirometry testing at local community diagnostic centres
Diagnostic Test: Capnography · Diagnostic Test: Oscillometry · Diagnostic Test: FENO · Diagnostic Test: Spirometry
Adults with suspected COPD/airway disease referred for full lung function testing at secondary care hospitals
Diagnostic Test: Capnography · Diagnostic Test: Oscillometry · Diagnostic Test: FENO · Diagnostic Test: Gas Transfer · Diagnostic Test: Static Lung Volumes · Diagnostic Test: Spirometry
Adults with suspected COPD/airway disease attending for a low-dose CT scan as part of the lung cancer screening programme
Diagnostic Test: Capnography · Diagnostic Test: Oscillometry
Adults with suspected COPD/airway disease attending local community groups and events
Diagnostic Test: Capnography · Diagnostic Test: Oscillometry
Capnography used in combination with machine learning-derived algorithms, with or without reversibility testing (if indicated on spirometry)
Oscillometry (where applicable), with or without reversibility testing (if indicated on spirometry). Measures respiratory impedance during normal tidal breathing.
Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (if requested). Used to assess airway inflammation.
Assesses lung diffusing capacity, performed using full pulmonary function testing equipment
Body plethysmography (if applicable). Used to assess static lung volumes and, where applicable, specific resistance, performed using full lung function equipment
Spirometry, with or without reversibility testing
Diagnostic accuracy of capnography used in combination with machine learning-derived algorithms
Sensitivity, Specificity, PPV, NPV compared to clinician diagnosis of COPD
Time frame: Baseline
Diagnostic accuracy of oscillometry
Sensitivity, Specificity, PPV, NPV compared to clinician diagnosis of COPD
Time frame: Baseline
Time per test
Time per test of advanced diagnostic technologies compared to usual care
Time frame: Baseline
Comparative 'failure rate'
Comparative 'failure rate' of advanced diagnostic technologies compared to usual care
Time frame: Baseline
Usability and acceptability
Patients' perceptions on the usability and acceptability of advanced respiratory diagnostic technologies compared to existing tests such as spirometry via a non-validated questionnaire
Time frame: Baseline
Usability and acceptability
Healthcare practitioners' perceptions on the usability, acceptability and confidence in advanced respiratory diagnostic technologies via semi-structured interviews
Time frame: Baseline
Effectiveness of advanced technologies in detecting early, alternative, or precursor respiratory conditions
Identification of pre-COPD using advanced respiratory diagnostic technologies in patients with normal forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) / forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio on spirometry but signs of reduced FEV1, gas trapping, hyperinflation, or reduced diffusing capacity on additional lung function tests performed in secondary care, or emphysema on CT scan. Differentiation of COPD from asthma using advanced diagnostic tests, particularly in patients presenting with overlapping respiratory symptoms
Time frame: Baseline
Feasibility outcomes in Lung Cancer Screening pathway
Recruitment uptake rate, time required and the acceptability to both patients and healthcare professional to complete additional diagnostic testing in individuals invited for low-dose CT (LDCT) as part of the lung cancer screening (LCS) pathway
Time frame: Baseline
Plan to share: Undecided — Data may be shared under appropriate governance in accordance with the TidalSense and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust agreement
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive →
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust →