Respiratory care depends on both specialist knowledge and an understanding of what matters to the people living with lung conditions. Two sessions from the 2026 European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress show these perspectives coming together: one explores a complex case of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), while the other focuses on meaningful patient involvement in research.
ABPA: experts discuss a complex case
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is an allergic reaction to Aspergillus that can affect the lungs, often in people with asthma. Recognising it may involve bringing together a person’s symptoms, imaging and blood test results.
In this ERS Ask the Expert episode, Dr Hitasha Rupani of University Hospital Southampton and Professor Dominick Shaw of the University of Leicester are joined by Professor Eva van Braeckel of Ghent University Hospital in Belgium. They discuss the case of a 55-year-old man with asthma, a persistent cough and recurrent chest infections. His investigations show collapse and consolidation in part of the lung, bronchiectasis and widespread mucus plugging. Blood tests show raised IgE, including raised Aspergillus-specific IgE and IgG.
The specialists consider the question: how should the physician proceed? The case illustrates how clinicians draw together different findings and share expertise when assessing a complicated respiratory problem. The episode is a professional discussion, not individual medical advice or a diagnostic checklist for patients.
Watch the ERS discussion about ABPA
Patients as partners in respiratory research
Research is intended to improve people’s lives, so the experiences of patients can help make it more relevant. People living with a respiratory condition may identify questions that matter to them, explain how symptoms affect everyday life, and help researchers think about which outcomes are meaningful to patients.
A patient-centred session at the 2026 ERS Congress in Barcelona explored meaningful patient involvement in research. Chaired by Mikaela Odemyr, it featured James D. Chalmers, Charlotta Norgaard, Kjeld Hansen and Susanne Vijverberg. Its place in the Congress programme reflects the importance of partnership between patients, clinicians and researchers in respiratory health.
Patient involvement can take different forms, from helping shape research questions and study design to contributing to how findings are communicated. When it is meaningful, patients are involved as partners and their perspectives can help guide the work.
Watch the ERS session on meaningful patient involvement in research
Together, these sessions show two important parts of respiratory care: clinicians sharing specialist knowledge across countries, and patients contributing their experience to the research that may shape future care.
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