Patients making treatment decisions about bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) considered trust in providers and counseling from providers to be the most important factors in their decisions. Travel, cost, and length of hospital stay were less influential on decision-making. The findings were presented at the American Thoracic Society 2025 International Conference.
“While BLVR use has increased in the United States, … there is a paucity of data on the patient experience and considerations. Early data suggest that two-staged BLVR may reduce pneumothorax, but patient acceptance due to increased socioeconomic burden and hospital stays remains uncertain,” wrote the authors, led by C.H. Lu of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at University of California, Davis in Sacramento.
The researchers interviewed 27 patients who had previously received BLVR (n=18) or were being considered for BLVR (n=9) at a single institution. They used a 12-item questionnaire created by physicians who specialize in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and interventional pulmonology, as well as exploratory questions. The tool included 12 factors that patients might consider relevant when considering BLVR.
The patients’ mean age was 74 years, and 100% were White. Mostpatients indicated they would consider staged BLVR if it reduced pneumothorax, despite increased hospital time and the need for two bronchoscopies. They had a median self-reported yearly household income of $50,000 to $59,999, and their mean distance from home address to the academic center was 81.5 miles. Baseline pulmonary function indicated overall severe emphysema with hyperinflation.
Of the 12 factors that patients might consider relevant when considering BLVR, the three most important to these patients were:
- Trust in the providers recommending BLVR (mean score = 87 out of 100).
- Trust in the providers performing BLVR (mean score = 85).
- Thoroughness of counseling (mean score = 77).
The three least important factors were:
- Traveling distances to the hospital (mean score = 48).
- Cost of procedures (mean score = 42).
- Days in the hospital after the procedure (mean score = 35).
In all, 87% of the patients interviewed said they would be willing to have staged valve placement if it reduced the risk of pneumothorax.
Reference Lu CH, Phan C, Yoneda KY, et al. Patient preference factors in bronchoscopic lung volume reduction. Abstract #A1157. Presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference; May 18-21, 2025; San Francisco, California.
