Application of Machine Learning in Pulmonary Function Assessment Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?

Giri, Paresh C

Chowdhury, Anand M

Bedoya, Armando

Chen, Hengji

Lee, Hyun Suk

Lee, Patty

Henriquez, Craig

MacIntyre, Neil R

Huang, Yuh-Chin T

2022-08-26T13:24:56Z

2022-08-26T13:24:56Z

2021-01

2022-08-26T13:24:54Z

Analysis of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) is an area where machine learning (ML) may benefit clinicians, researchers, and the patients. PFT measures spirometry, lung volumes, and carbon monoxide diffusion capacity of the lung (DLCO). The results are usually interpreted by the clinicians using discrete numeric data according to published guidelines. PFT interpretations by clinicians, however, are known to have inter-rater variability and the inaccuracy can impact patient care. This variability may be caused by unfamiliarity of the guidelines, lack of training, inadequate understanding of lung physiology, or simply mental lapses. A rules-based automated interpretation system can recapitulate expert's pattern recognition capability and decrease errors. ML can also be used to analyze continuous data or the graphics, including the flow-volume loop, the DLCO and the nitrogen washout curves. These analyses can discover novel physiological biomarkers. In the era of wearables and telehealth, particularly with the COVID-19 pandemic restricting PFTs to be done in the clinical laboratories, ML can also be used to combine mobile spirometry results with an individual's clinical profile to deliver precision medicine. There are, however, hurdles in the development and commercialization of the ML-assisted PFT interpretation programs, including the need for high quality representative data, the existence of different formats for data acquisition and sharing in PFT software by different vendors, and the need for collaboration amongst clinicians, biomedical engineers, and information technologists. Hurdles notwithstanding, the new developments would represent significant advances that could be the future of PFT, the oldest test still in use in clinical medicine.

1664-042X

1664-042X

https://hdl.handle.net/10161/25609

eng

Frontiers Media SA

Frontiers in physiology

10.3389/fphys.2021.678540

DLCO

artificial intelligence

flow-volume loop

lung volumes

machine learning

pulmonary function test

spirometry

Application of Machine Learning in Pulmonary Function Assessment Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?

Journal article

Bedoya, Armando|0000-0001-6496-7024

Lee, Patty|0000-0001-9906-1628

678540

Duke

School of Medicine

Basic Science Departments

Clinical Science Departments

Biostatistics & Bioinformatics

Cell Biology

Medicine

Pathology

Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine

Published

12