Technology-enabled Respiratory Diagnostics

COSMIC

Spirometry is the key diagnostic test for COPD, yet access to high-quality testing and confidence in interpretation varies across the NHS.⁵ Following the COVID 19 pandemic, many services continue to face backlogs, workforce pressures - including limited access to appropriately trained clinicians -, and challenges restoring diagnostic capacity.^5-7

This contributes to a wider challenge in COPD diagnosis, as an estimated two million people in the UK are living with the condition without a diagnosis.⁸ The burden is also unequal, with COPD disproportionately affecting more deprived communities and significant variation in access to diagnostic services.^9,10

COSMIC (COPD Spirometry Management Supported by AI in a Community Setting) is a collaborative working projects and donations programme, supporting primary and community care NHS organisations with access to ArtiQ.Spiro.

ArtiQ.Spiro is an AI-enabled spirometry decision support software designed to help healthcare professionals to confidently use spirometry.¹¹ ArtiQ.Spiro offers assessment of spirometry test quality (prompting reassessment while the patient is still present to correct poor quality readings), guideline aligned interpretation and disease probability outputs to support clinical judgement, all delivered in real-time. It is already being used in parts of the NHS, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance to enable the NHS to use ArtiQ.Spiro during a 3-year evidence generation period.^4,11

Claire Adams, Respiratory Clinical Lead, North-East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board and Respiratory Programme Manager, Health Innovation North-East and North Cumbria (HI-NENC).

In real-world evaluations, ArtiQ.Spiro has demonstrated encouraging results, including potential time and cost savings, while supporting confidence in spirometry assessment. During the evaluations, the average time taken to deliver spirometry results decreased from 10.6 minutes to 5.6 minutes when using ArtiQ.Spiro – and the AI also matched the quality assessment in 94% of cases, while clinician confidence in interpretation was maintained.¹²

By providing support with test quality assessment and interpretation, the technology may also enable services to consider utilising appropriately trained lower-banded staff to conduct spirometry, with an interpreted report then made available to the GP for clinical consideration. In real-world evaluations, early modelling indicated potential cost savings of £10-£15 per appointment.¹²

The technology supports the diagnostic process but does not provide a diagnosis or replace clinical judgement; the final diagnostic decision remains with the healthcare professional.

This project will start in October 2026 with no defined expiry; subject to change or withdrawal.

Please check back regularly as we will update this section as further insights become available. Learning from the projects will be shared to inform future approaches to improving access to testing, increasing diagnostic capacity and supporting earlier identification of COPD across the NHS.

Digital Peak Flow Meter Assisted Asthma Care Clinic (DAACC)

Asthma remains a significant public health challenge in the UK, with mortality rates rising despite decades of clinical advances. Every day, four people in the UK die from asthma, while thousands more experience severe asthma attacks requiring hospital treatment each year.¹³

Blackpool has high levels of deprivation, being among the 20% most deprived areas in England, which can exacerbate asthma prevalence and outcomes. Factors such as low income, poor housing and reduced access to resources contribute to worse health outcomes, while life expectancy remains below the England average.^14,15 Together, these factors highlight the need for targeted interventions to address problems such as asthma management in this community.

The Digital Peak Flow Meter Assisted Asthma Care Clinic (DAACC) was a collaborative working project between Chiesi and Bloomfield Medical Centre, exploring how digital tools could support personal asthma management in this setting. By using digital peak flow meters, patients could identify triggers, recognise early signs of worsening symptoms, and provide their healthcare professionals with data-driven insights into their lung function, enabling more personalised and effective care. The project demonstrated that patients reported improved understanding of their condition and greater involvement in shared decision‑making.

The DAACC project is now complete.

Read the DAACC output report

Please click here to read the executive summary of the project.

MISSION

Greater Manchester has high asthma and COPD prevalence and poor respiratory outcomes, with emergency hospital admissions due to these conditions 30% higher than the national average.¹⁶

MISSION (iMprovIng outcomeS in reSpIratory acrOss Greater MaNchester) is a collaborative working project between Chiesi and Health Innovation Manchester, launched to help address critical gaps in asthma and COPD care.

The project is introducing the clinically-validated LungHealth software in up to 150 GP practices across Greater Manchester over a two-year period. The software incorporates existing digital technology such as embedded algorithms aligned to national and international guidelines, alongside the patients’ medical records, to support computer-guided asthma and COPD annual reviews either remotely or face-to-face.

The MISSION project is currently under way.

Read more about the project by visiting the executive summary and check back regularly as we will update this section as further insights become available.

Please click here to read the executive summary of the project.