Methods
- A modified Delphi process (Figure 1) was devised by a steering committee that comprised nine specialist pulmonologists and thoracic radiologists
- An expert panel of 44 practicing pulmonologists and thoracic radiologists was selected by the steering committee to take part in the modified Delphi process
- Expert panel members were required to have
- ≥5 years' experience in diagnosing, treating or imaging lung disease; and
- ≥3 years' experience in diagnosing and treating ILD
- Two online questionnaires were developed by the steering committee and used to survey the opinions of the expert panel members to identify areas of consensus and differences of opinion regarding
- Perceptions of ILD;
- Diagnosis and reporting of incidentally detected ILA;
- Testing of asymptomatic patients with incidentally detected ILA; and
- Screening for early ILD
- The results of the first survey were discussed by the steering committee, on the basis of which new or modified questions were developed and included in a second survey
- The second survey was sent to the expert panel
- The steering committee reviewed the outcomes of both surveys in a second virtual meeting and identified key conclusions
- The threshold for consensus was defined, a priori, as 75% agreement
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