Patient voices at the ERS Congress: watch the ELF recordings

What can respiratory care learn from the people who live with lung conditions every day? At the 2026 European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona, patient-centred sessions brought patients, advocates, clinicians and researchers together to discuss lived experience, research and the practical changes that can make care more responsive.

The European Lung Foundation (ELF) has gathered recordings and information from several of these sessions. They cover a wide range of issues, from the emotional and social effects of lung disease to how patients can help shape research and care.

Highlights from the sessions

• Holistic approaches in lung disease: addressing physical, emotional and social factors
  Living with lung disease can affect much more than breathing. This discussion explored the impact on emotional wellbeing, social interaction and everyday life, and the value of looking at the whole person. Lisa McNeil, from the Aspergillosis Patient Advisory Group, joined the session as a panellist.
• Meaningful patient involvement in research
  Patients can help researchers identify important questions, choose outcomes that matter and design studies around people’s real experiences. This session explored why involvement is most useful when it begins early and continues throughout the research process.
• Breathing easy: addressing air, housing and poverty in patient care
  Where people live and the conditions in their homes can affect respiratory health. This session considered how air quality, housing and poverty can combine to create challenges, and why these wider circumstances need to be part of conversations about care.
• Invisible burdens: the stigma of lung conditions
  Coughing, breathlessness and assumptions about the causes of lung disease can lead to misunderstanding or stigma. The discussion highlighted the importance of listening to patients, using respectful language and treating people with empathy and dignity.
• The power of patient partnerships
  Patients and professionals explored how to work together in research, education and care. Topics included co-creating digital and self-management tools, involving patients in long-term studies, and building partnerships within respiratory organisations.

These recordings show patients contributing as partners: bringing their experience into discussions about research priorities, healthcare tools, stigma and the support people need. They also give a glimpse of the conversations taking place across the respiratory community in Europe.

Explore the ELF recordings and patient-centred content from the 2026 ERS Congress