OPTIMIZE-ILD-2 Testing a Coordinated One-Day Follow-Up Visit to Reduce Time Burden for Patients With Interstitial Lung Disease

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a new way to organize follow-up care for patients with interstitial lung disease ILD, a group of lung conditions that require ongoing monitoring. The study compares the usual care, where patients attend multiple separate hospital visits for tests and consultations, with a coordinated approach that bundles all routine monitoring into one single visit. This trial aims to reduce the time and effort needed for follow-up while also looking at quality of life, costs, and caregiver experience. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group follows the standard ILD follow-up with separate appointments for pulmonary function tests, lab work, imaging, treatment, and specialist consultations. The other group receives an optimized follow-up where all these procedures are scheduled together in one coordinated visit to reduce the number of hospital trips. This reorganization does not change clinical care or testing but focuses on improving the scheduling and timing. During the study, participants undergo their usual monitoring tests and consultations, with researchers measuring the total time spent from home departure to return. The study also collects data on the financial and environmental impact of follow-up visits, health-related quality of life, anxiety, depression, social support, clinical frailty, and caregiver burden when applicable. Patient and professional feedback on the follow-up process is gathered, and the study examines if the coordinated approach benefits all patients fairly across different social and demographic groups. The overall participation lasts about six months on average.

Optimizing the Follow-Up Journey in Interstitial Lung Disease: The OPTIMIZE-ILD-2 Trial