Developing a consensus on the terminology and assessment of breathing pattern disorders

Background: Inconsistent nomenclature and assessment complicate understanding and treatment of breathing pattern disorders, hindering clinical and research progress. The study aimed to achieve consensus on acceptable terminology and provide a comprehensive assessment guide, with a 70% agreement threshold.

Methods: Phase 1 involved a focus group of 10 physiotherapists and 1-1 interviews with 9 non-physiotherapy clinicians and 5 patients to explore opinions of terminology and assessment. Phase 2, a nominal group technique (NGT) was completed with 10 physiotherapists to gain consensus on:

-What is your preferred term for this condition

-What are the most important components to be included in all assessments

Results: Framework analysis of phase 1 data informed stage 2 discussion. Consensus on "Breathing Pattern Disorder" (BrPD) reached (71%). (Table 1). A draft assessment guide was proposed following ranking of assessment components, endorsed by 1 physiotherapists.

Conclusions: Establishing a preferred term and a guide for assessment should provide clarity and consistency in future research and clinical care.