RESULTS
breathlessness
DISEASE
Interviews were conducted with 34 patients and 10 clinicians. All patients consented to an interview as part of the wider Breathe DEEP study. Clinicians from each participating GP practice were asked to express interest in an interview, with the aim of gaining representation from each practice. Patients’ demographic details were as follows: 20 (59%) were female; mean age was 68 years (standard deviation [SD] 10.8, range 48–89); 32 (94%) were White British; and median indices of multiple deprivation quintile was 3 (interquartile range 2–5). Clinicians had a mean 17 years of experience (SD 6.3, range 6–30), five of whom (50%) were female, and seven (70%) were White British. Clinicians were from 10 GP practices with a mean population of 15 300 (SD 7.6, range 10–40); nine were GPs and one was a respiratory nurse. Five themes emerged from the data: recognising and validating symptoms of breathlessness is an important first step; clinical decision making for breathlessness is complex; difficult conversations arise when a disease-related diagnosis is not confirmed; disease management rather than symptom management is prioritised by clinicians; and patient experience is influenced by clinician communication style. The first four themes describe the patient and clinician journey, while the fifth theme about communication was evident throughout the first four themes.