Project 825 | PUFFIN platform for respiratory diagnostics

Platform for UndiFferentiated respiratory symptoms – Fast-tracking INnovation in primary care (PUFFIN): Diagnostic accuracy platform study for evaluation of novel technologies for diagnosis of respiratory disease in primary care, with embedded mixed method domains around acceptability, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, health economics and knowledge mobilisation.

Long-term lung conditions, including asthma and COPD, affect about 1 in 5 people in the UK and have a major impact on patients and the NHS. They are more common and severe in people living in deprived areas.
People with lung symptoms usually first see their GP, but often face long delays before getting the right diagnosis/treatment. Current tests can be difficult to use, need additional staff training and are not widely available across the UK. Late or wrong diagnosis can lead to worsening symptoms, poorer quality of life, emergency hospital admissions, and sometimes death. This is why we need better tests in GP practices.

Many new tests, including apps and medical devices, have been developed. However, most have not been tested in patients attending their GP with symptoms
– where they would be most helpful
– to check how accurate and easy to-use they are.
As a result, there is currently not enough evidence to recommend them for routine NHS use.

PUFFIN is a research study that allows several tests to be assessed at the same time. This ‘platform study’ approach is more efficient, less costly, and produces results more quickly. PUFFIN will build on our pilot study, Asthma-Dx, which is recruiting 100 patients who contacting their GP with possible asthma symptoms, comparing new tests with current tests and expert opinion.
PUFFIN will expand this work into a larger, more diverse study of 550 people across several UK regions. We will select three promising tests from Asthma-Dx and look at whether they are accurate, easy-to-use and offer the NHS good value for money. The study will include people from different backgrounds, including those in more deprived communities.
Asthma-Dx has been shaped by patient and public contributors, including people with lived experience of asthma and diagnosis delays, to ensure the study is acceptable and relevant. They will continue to work with us in PUFFIN, helping to design participant information, make sure recruitment includes everyone, and share results in accessible ways.
We will work closely with NHS organisations, policymakers and charities to share findings quickly and support decisions about use in routine care.