The Annual Scientific Meeting for Leaders in Lung Health & Respiratory Science | 21 – 25 March 2025 | Adelaide Convention Centre

Industry Innovators

Sunday , 23 March 2025

Our response to the national silicosis crisis

Time: 12.10 - 12.30 pm Theatrette 1 (Exhibition Hall)

Synopsis: Join us for a session which addresses the impact of silica and other dust exposures on Australian workers, many of whom may be your patients.  With alarming predictions regarding the total numbers of cases of silicosis and silica-related diseases in the future, including lung cancer, diffuse dust related fibrosis, autoimmune disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,  this is a critical public health concern. 

Australians are desperately searching for answers – with over 26,000 monthly Google searches related to silicosis and health concerns, the need for clear, accessible information has never been more urgent. At the same time, respiratory physicians need clear and careful information about how to help. 

This session will introduce Australia's Silicosis Support Hub (silicosis.org.au), a one-stop national resource for patients and carers.  Learn how this platform offers accessible, reliable information on protecting against silica exposure, assessing risks, navigating healthcare options, and understanding legal and financial rights. This could be a valuable resource for your patients.

  In this session we will also introduce the first Australian statewide Occupational Respiratory Disease Multidisciplinary Team Meeting , launching soon in NSW  in collaboration with Concord Repatriation General Hospital. The online MDT will provide a free resource for respiratory physicians in diagnosing and helping patients who have had occupational dust exposure. It will also assist physicians with the administrative issues relating to the new mandatory notification by physicians to the new National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry (NORDR). 

Occupational lung diseases are increasingly being recognised in NSW and making a diagnosis of work-related lung disease can be complex and time consuming. Currently, these patients may be reviewed in an interstitial lung disease multidisciplinary team meeting (ILD-MDT), but not all respiratory physicians have access to these, particularly those working in rural & remote areas where occupational exposures are common. The new Occ MDT is not designed to replace the ILD MDTs, but to supplement them by providing access for all and advice on difficult cases. It will bring subspecialty expertise from a multidisciplinary team (occupational respiratory physicians, occupational hygienists, occupational respiratory radiologists,  physiologists and nurses)  to  this unique population, as well as enable links to essential support services. ADDRI hopes that these initiatives will provide practical solutions and assist both patients and physicians in dealing with dust related diseases.

Presented by Professor Deborah Yates, leading Respiratory Physician, and A/Professor Anthony Linton, ADDRI Academic and Research Director, this session will explore the patient journey, the role of the Silicosis Support Hub, and the goals of the upcoming NSW State-wide meeting to ensure comprehensive patient assessment and care.

Is There More to Their Cough? How Phenotype and Endotype Mapping Personalises Asthma Care.

Time: 12.10 - 12.35 pm Theatrette 2 (Exhibition Hall)

Speaker: Woo-Jung Song, MD, PhD. 

Professor, Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Allergy, Asthma & COPD Centre. Airway Sensation & Cough Research Laboratory. Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine. 

 

Time: 12.35 - 12.55 pm Theatrette 1 (Exhibition Hall)

 

Big change in little airways: establishing small airways disease as a treatable trait with oscillometry

Time: 12.35 - 12.55 pm Theatrette 2 (Exhibition Hall)

Speaker: Dr Li Ping Chung, Prof Claude Farah

Synopsis: Small airways disease (SAD) is a fundamental concept in both asthma and COPD, unequivocally linked to risk of exacerbations, symptom control, airway hyperresponsiveness, spirometric abnormalities and inflammation. Furthermore, SAD is evident across all severities in both obstructive diseases, often present prior to spirometric alterations and amplified in more severe disease. 

Combining validated small airways measures such as oscillometry with the current gold standard spirometry is an innovative approach in obtaining valuable information which can improve disease diagnosis, management and identify phenotypes missed by current tests alone.

This session will aim to present developments in research on SAD from Australia. 

Dr Li Ping Chung will share her groundbreaking study examining SAD in a severe asthma clinic using spirometry plus impulse oscillometry that demonstrated SAD was highly prevalent and predictive of exacerbations and symptoms. 

Professor Claude Farah will present the results of a world first Australian led Delphi study to establish consensus oscillometry values. This will help to simplify clinical interpretation of the results for clinicians in practice.

 

Monday, 24 March 2025

Time: 12.35 - 12.55 pm Theatrette 1 (Exhibition Hall)

 

Time: 12.35 - 12.55 pm Theatrette 2 (Exhibition Hall)