Breathlessness

Dyspnea in patients with incurable illness is a difficult symptom. Therefore, there is a need to identify new effective treatment modalities. Previous studies suggest that high-flow nasal therapy delivered via a nasal cannula (HFNT = High-Flow Nasal Therapy) may alleviate dyspnea, and similarly that directing airflow toward the face can provide relief. HFNT has been studied very little in hospice settings and on palliative care wards. The aim of this study is to determine whether HFNT is a feasible and effective treatment for relieving dyspnea in patients receiving palliative care. Patients will be recruited from the Hatanpää Palliative Care Ward and the Pirkanmaa Hospice, Tampere, Finland. The target is to recruit approximately 30-40 patients. The inclusion criteria are: age ≥18 years, ability to understand the study and provide informed consent to participate, a palliative treatment approach, and significant dyspnea. Each patient receives HFNT and fan therapy in which airflow will be directed toward the patient's face. Both treatments will last 30 minutes. Patient symptoms will be asked after the treatments. In addition, patients will be asked to rate the overall benefit they experienced from the intervention and any side effects. The primary endpoint is the relief of dyspnea with HFNT compared with fan therapy. The study will be conducted in accordance with laws, regulations, and guidelines governing medical research, as well as good scientific practice and research ethics. The study does not involve significant risks or measurements or sampling procedures that would cause additional discomfort. All other care for the patient will be provided according to the standard practices of the treating unit, and participation in the study will not limit any necessary treatments. Identifiable information will not be disclosed for use outside the research group. Results will be reported in a manner that does not allow patients to be identified. The Ethics Committee of the Wellbeing Services County of Pirkanmaa has approved the study. If successful, the study will significantly improve the care of the patients in palliative care.

This study aims to evaluate a clinical tool called the Breathing Pattern Assessment Tool (BPAT), which is used by physiotherapists to assess breathing pattern disorder (BPD). BPD is a condition where breathing is inefficient or out of sync with the body's needs, leading to symptoms such as breathlessness. The study will investigate whether the BPAT is a reliable and accurate way to identify and assess BPD, and whether it can be used to monitor changes over time, particularly following physiotherapy treatment. It will also compare BPAT scores with other commonly used questionnaires that measure breathlessness and breathing symptoms. Participants will include patients with BPD, patients with asthma, and healthy individuals. Patients with BPD will attend physiotherapy sessions as part of their usual care, during which their breathing will be assessed using the BPAT at different time points, including before and after treatment. Healthy participants will attend a single assessment visit, and asthma participants' data will be collected from routine clinical care. The study will also explore whether BPAT scores change following treatment and whether these changes reflect improvements reported by patients and clinicians. In addition, a small number of patients and physiotherapists will be invited to take part in interviews to share their experiences of the assessment process and treatment. This will help understand whether the BPAT is acceptable and useful in clinical practice. Overall, this study aims to improve how breathing pattern disorder is assessed and monitored, which may help guide better treatment for patients in the future.

Treating breathlessness could help people with asthma have fewer symptoms and be more physically active. People with asthma report that it is important to deal with breathlessness during physical activity programs, but past research hasn't focused on this need. The investigators have developed a multicomponent digitally supported intervention targeting breathlessness and physical inactivity. This study will test whether the multicomponent digital supported intervention will help people with asthma. The main question the study aims to answer is: Does the multicomponent digitally supported intervention improve quality of life? Participants will: * Be allocated to the intervention or usual care. Allocation to either group will be random (like tossing a coin). * Attend study visits to complete an assessment involving questionnaires and measurements * Receive telephone calls to ask questions about health * Be invited to take part in an interview to have a conversation about thoughts on participating in the study * Be asked to provide consent to collect information from Services Australia regarding use of health care services and medications

This prospective stepped-wedge study evaluates whether use of the Breathlessness diagnostics in a Box (BiaB) tool shortens the time to diagnosis in patients presenting with breathlessness, compared with usual care. The study is conducted in general practice settings in the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal. Participating sites start with a usual care period and transition sequentially to the BiaB intervention period. Data are collected during routine clinical visits, from electronic medical records, and through questionnaires completed by patients and healthcare professionals.