Optimizing the Follow-Up Journey in Interstitial Lung Disease: The OPTIMIZE-ILD-2 Trial

Participants in this arm will follow the standard ILD follow-up pathway, in which routine components of ILD monitoring-such as pulmonary function tests, six-minute walk test when performed, laboratory analyses, imaging when clinically indicated, pharmacy consultations, nursing assessments and medical visits-are scheduled independently by each department according to routine workflows and availability. These procedures usually take place on separate days, and completing a full follow-up cycle commonly requires multiple hospital visits. The organizational structure of care, scheduling processes and clinical content remain unchanged.

Participants in this arm will follow an optimized coordinated ILD follow-up circuit in which all required procedures are pre-scheduled and consolidated into a single structured one-day visit. This includes medical consultation, nursing assessment, pharmacy review, pulmonary function testing, laboratory analyses and imaging when clinically indicated. When needed, rheumatology or internal medicine evaluation is incorporated into the same coordinated visit. The intervention does not introduce new tests, does not modify clinical decision-making and does not alter hospital prioritization or waiting-list rules; it reorganizes the timing and coordination of existing procedures to reduce fragmentation and overall time burden.