29 January 2026 | Online

Organisers: A. Chan, J. van Boven

Overview

Digital transformation is reshaping respiratory trials, yet critical gaps persist:

• Recruitment barriers: 78% of trials exclude rural/LMIC populations due to site-centric models, worsening health inequity (Khor et al. 2024)
• Regulatory uncertainty: No standardised frameworks exist to validate digital endpoints (e.g., wearables, AI algorithms)
• Implementation costs: Traditional trials cost 30% more than decentralised designs (van Boven et al. 2025)

Why attend?

92% of respiratory professionals demand training on decentralised trial logistics (ERS 2024 survey). This workshop delivers actionable solutions aligned with EU/WHO digital health policies as well as ERS digital health priorities.

Aims of the workshop

• Build a global multidisciplinary network for digital endpoint innovation.
• Validate regulatory pathways for decentralised trials.
• Design equitable frameworks for implementation across all countries/income settings.
• Launch an ATS/ERS taskforce to set global standards for digital endpoints in respiratory disease.

Format & methods

• Expert talks: Discussion into regulatory compliance and the landmark BATURA trial (first decentralised asthma study).
• Tech demo zone: Test drive smart devices such as digital inhalers, smart spacers in live sessions.
• Regulatory insights: Insights into current regulatory approaches for digital endpoints and decentralised trials.
• Condition-specific discussion: Co-create digital endpoints for asthma, COPD, ILD, CF settings.

Recordings will be made available to registered participants within two weeks after the event.

Topics

• Regulatory pathways: FDA/EMA compliance, validation templates
• Trial design: BATURA case study, cost-reduction tactics
• Equity in practice: LMIC recruitment, paediatric/old adult-focused adaptations
• AI integration: Algorithm validation, real-world data pipelines
• Patient perspectives: ELF-led discussions on tech experiences

Target audience

• Clinicians: Pulmonologists, primary care physicians, pharmacists, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other allied health professionals
• Researchers: Trial coordinators, data scientists, digital health developers and clinical trial methodologists/leads
• Decision-makers: Policy experts, health economists, hospital administrators
• Industry innovators: Medtech developers, pharmaceutical leads and health insurers with an interest in decentralised trials
• Patients & advocates: ELF representatives, community health workers

Outcomes

After attending, participants will be able to:

1. Apply an FDA/EMA-aligned framework to validate digital endpoints in your trials

2. Design recruitment strategies that boost rural/LMIC participation

3. Implement 3+ cost-reduction tactics (e.g., remote monitoring tools)

4. Navigate regulatory landscape for AI-driven respiratory endpoints

5. Input into the ATS/ERS taskforce shaping global decentralised trial standards

CME credits

An application will be submitted to the European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology (EBAP) for CME accreditation of this event.

The number of credits that you will receive will correspond to the time you spend viewing the sessions live. Please note that you need to join the live stream with the name that corresponds to your myERS profile to ensure that you receive the CME credits.

Participants will not accrue credits for watching video recordings made available after the event has taken place.

Registrations

Registration for this workshop is free.