When COPD is not confirmed, we need to spend more time on a breathlessness pathway, exploring potential causes of the breathlessness symptom rather than assuming a particular diagnostic or treatment route. The holistic assessment of breathlessness will improve accuracy of diagnosis, implementation of effective treatment plans, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.

One example of a breathlessness pathway is the Lambeth and Southwark breathlessness pathway (linked below), which has been the basis for development of a lot of breathlessness pathways across the country, and provides a structured approach to assessing breathlessness.