Diagnostic confirmation ability of multidisciplinary group aided by Telehealth for interstitial lung diseases (ILD) with undetermined diagnosis.

<bold>Background:</bold> The difficulty of defining a diagnosis based on radiological and histological findings in ILD can be challenging for pulmonologists. The use of telehealth with specialized radiologists and pathologists, however, could provide better care for those patients. <bold>Objective:</bold> To evaluate the diagnostic capacity of ILD by an expert group using telehealth in cases that pulmonologists couldn't define the final diagnosis. <bold>Methods:</bold> Over two years of online meetings, respiratory specialists from three public universities in São Paulo (Brazil) discussed 18 cases of ILD without diagnosis. Clinical history, demographic data, and patient exposures were listed. Laboratory analysis and bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage were performed. Chest tomography and lung biopsy were sent previously. Diagnostic hypotheses were provided by the local team and compared later. <bold>Results:</bold> 62% of the cases were men, and the total average age was 62±12 years. Patients waited an average of 644±982 days from symptom onset to specialist care. Dry cough (50%) and wheezing (22%) were the prevalent symptoms. Among the patients, 94% underwent transbronchial biopsy, and 17% of these had surgical biopsy. Most frequent CT patterns were indeterminate pattern for UIP (22%) and an alternative diagnosis (77%). The local diagnostic agreement before and after the meeting was 11%. The group of specialists achieved a definitive diagnosis in 38% of the cases. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Telehealth can help elucidate the diagnosis of ILD in centers without specialists. The promotion of these possibilities in a heterogeneous healthcare area can help specialists far from large diagnostic centers.