Standardized Clinical Terms and Definitions for Interstitial Lung Disease: A Consensus Statement from the Fleischner Society

<b>Background:</b> Despite advances in diagnosis and management, the interstitial lung disease (ILD) lexicon is plagued by ambiguous and inconsistent terminology that complicates communication and impedes knowledge generation. The objective of this Fleischner Society Consensus Statement was to produce standardized terminology for ILD multidisciplinary diagnoses and major phenotypes. <b>Methods:</b> Interviews with 10 experts were used to identify ILD clinical diagnoses and major phenotypes. The preferred terms for each entity and potential alternatives were identified, alongside the rationale for the preferred term. Entities with more than one potential term were the subject of an online modified Delphi survey posed to the 29 committee members, aiming to achieve consensus. Committee members rated their agreement with the initially preferred term-5 (<i>strongly agree</i>), 4 (<i>agree</i>), 3 (<i>neutral/unsure</i>), 2 (<i>disagree</i>), and 1 (<i>strongly disagree</i>)-with the option to provide additional comments. Median score ⩾4 and interquartile range ⩽1 were considered consensus agreement. Terms not reaching agreement were discussed by video conference, followed by an additional survey that incorporated feedback. <b>Results:</b> From the 60 initial terms, there were two root terms that required upfront consensus before survey initiation (ILD and interstitial pneumonia) and another eight terms that had no alternative suggested by the committee or in the literature. Agreement was met by 47/50 terms (94%) in Round 1 of the survey. The three terms (6%) that did not reach agreement met agreement in Round 2. <b>Conclusions:</b> This document provides standardized recommended terms for ILD multidisciplinary diagnoses and major phenotypes that will facilitate communication among clinicians, researchers, patients, and other stakeholders.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Published
2025-08-04
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.202505-1142so
Citations
5
Primary Topic
Interstitial Lung Diseases and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
7.59
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Standardized Clinical Terms and Definitions for Interstitial Lung Disease: A Consensus Statement from the Fleischner Society

Yoshikazu Inoue, Vincent Cottin, Takeshi Johkoh, Simon Walsh et al.
5 citations
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
Interstitial Lung Diseases and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
7.59
article

Standardized Clinical Terms and Definitions for Interstitial Lung Disease: A Consensus Statement from the Fleischner Society

Yoshikazu Inoue, Vincent Cottin, Takeshi Johkoh, Simon Walsh, Luca Richeldi, Mary Beth Beasley, Mark L. Schiebler, David A. Lynch, Lida P. Hariri, Martine Rémy‐Jardin, Christopher J. Ryerson, Nicola Sverzellati, Kevin M. Brown, William D. Travis, Kerri A. Johannson, Ann N. Leung, Linda Broyde Haramati, Charles S. White, Thomas V. Colby, Jay Hoon Ryu, Jeffrey R. Galvin, Néstor L. Müller, Sujal R. Desai, Andrew G. Nicholson, Lynette M. Sholl, Athol U. Wells, Marie‐Pierre Revel, Ho Yun Lee, Suhail Raoof, Alexander A. Bankier
article en
5 citations

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Despite advances in diagnosis and management, the interstitial lung disease (ILD) lexicon is plagued by ambiguous and inconsistent terminology that complicates communication and impedes knowledge generation. The objective of this Fleischner Society Consensus Statement was to produce standardized terminology for ILD multidisciplinary diagnoses and major phenotypes. <b>Methods:</b> Interviews with 10 experts were used to identify ILD clinical diagnoses and major phenotypes. The preferred terms for each entity and potential alternatives were identified, alongside the rationale for the preferred term. Entities with more than one potential term were the subject of an online modified Delphi survey posed to the 29 committee members, aiming to achieve consensus. Committee members rated their agreement with the initially preferred term-5 (<i>strongly agree</i>), 4 (<i>agree</i>), 3 (<i>neutral/unsure</i>), 2 (<i>disagree</i>), and 1 (<i>strongly disagree</i>)-with the option to provide additional comments. Median score ⩾4 and interquartile range ⩽1 were considered consensus agreement. Terms not reaching agreement were discussed by video conference, followed by an additional survey that incorporated feedback. <b>Results:</b> From the 60 initial terms, there were two root terms that required upfront consensus before survey initiation (ILD and interstitial pneumonia) and another eight terms that had no alternative suggested by the committee or in the literature. Agreement was met by 47/50 terms (94%) in Round 1 of the survey. The three terms (6%) that did not reach agreement met agreement in Round 2. <b>Conclusions:</b> This document provides standardized recommended terms for ILD multidisciplinary diagnoses and major phenotypes that will facilitate communication among clinicians, researchers, patients, and other stakeholders.

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care MedicineVol. 211(10)
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (IT), Délégation Paris 5 (FR), University of Parma (IT), University of Maryland, Baltimore (US), Brigham and Women's Hospital (US), Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US), Mayo Clinic (US), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US), University of Wisconsin–Madison (US), University of British Columbia (CA), University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (US), University of Calgary (CA), Université Paris Cité (FR), Université de Lille (FR), Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust (GB), Lenox Hill Hospital (US), Samsung Medical Center (KR), Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic (IT), Harefield Hospital (GB), Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico (IT), National Jewish Health (US), Yale University (US), Ospedale Maggiore (IT), Massachusetts General Hospital (US), Memorial Medical Center (US), Lille’s Cardiology Hospital (FR), Sorbonne Paris Cité (FR), Hôpital Cochin (FR), Mount Sinai Medical Center (US), Royal Brompton Hospital (GB), Lung Institute (US), Kansai Rosai Hospital (JP), Groupe Hospitalier Cochin - Port-Royal, Hôtel-Dieu, Broca - La Collégiale (FR), Mayo Clinic in Arizona (US), Ospedale di Parma (IT), Hôpital Louis Pradel (FR), Stanford Medicine (US), Pulmonary Associates (US), Respiratory Clinical Trials (AU), Wisconsin Division of Public Health (US), Fukujuji Hospital (JP), Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IT), NHO Kinki Chuo Chest Medical Center (JP), UMass Memorial Medical Center (US), Imperial College London (GB), Sungkyunkwan University (KR), University of Colorado Denver (US), Stanford University (US), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Interstitial Lung Diseases and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
7.59
DOISourceOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.