A significant advance in early detection
Bellvitge Hospital has implemented an innovative diagnostic circuit that has managed to reduce the time needed to identify pulmonary fibrosis from nearly two years to just six months. This advance not only represents a remarkable improvement in medical care but also opens new possibilities for the treatment and management of this chronic disease.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition that affects approximately 33 people per 100,000 inhabitants in Spain, presenting symptoms such as persistent dry cough and difficulty breathing during physical exertion. However, these symptoms are often confused with other more common respiratory conditions, delaying diagnosis and worsening the patient's situation.
Maria Molina, head of the pulmonary interstitial functional unit at the hospital, emphasizes that “early diagnosis means changing the course of the disease.” An early diagnosis allows for the initiation of more effective treatments and improves both the quality and life expectancy of affected patients.
The new rapid circuit is based on close collaboration between primary care centres and the hospital. Researchers have trained doctors in ten primary care centres (CAP) to recognize early signs of pulmonary fibrosis, establishing a direct channel between radiology and the hospital's specialized unit. This ensures that patients are referred quickly, with a first visit scheduled in less than a month.
Lupe Bermudo, a pulmonologist involved in the project, highlights that this model not only improves prognosis by significantly increasing seven-year transplant-free survival rates (from 43.6% to 57.1%), but also allows patients to arrive with better lung capacity to receive more effective antifibrotic treatments.
The results of the study have recently been published in npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, detailing a thorough follow-up conducted on 726 patients referred between 2012 and 2015. Of these, 112 were identified through the new rapid circuit. The research concludes that this model is perfectly replicable by other Catalan hospitals, as long as there is willingness and coordination among the various health entities.
Bermudo concludes by stating: “The results are well worth taking the step towards broader implementation.” With this pioneering initiative, Bellvitge is not only changing lives today; it is laying the groundwork for a future where early diagnosis is the norm and not the exception.
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