Pulmonary Care Institute - Specialised Outpatient Service (“Hungarikum”)
Responsibilities of the Pulmonary Care Institute:
- Diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and long-term follow-up care of new and known patients with asthma, respiratory allergies, and COPD
- Tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics, treatment, and follow-up care - a special activity due to epidemiological and public health obligations
- Lung screening with dual diagnostic evaluation
- Diagnostic evaluation of patients selected (flagged) by lung screening
- Specialist assessment of patients referred by general practitioners with respiratory complaints
- Specialist assessment of patients referred by other medical specialities with respiratory complaints
1. Pulmonology specialist clinic
- Diagnosis, specialist care, and long-term management of asthma, respiratory allergies, COPD, and other respiratory diseases
2. TB treatment and care
Based on the professional guidelines of the Pulmonology Professional College, the responsibilities of Pulmonary Care Institutes include:
- Diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and follow-up care of TB patients
- Identification, screening, and treatment of contacts of TB patients
- Participating in the care of extrapulmonary TB cases
The anti-tuberculosis inhibitory drug therapy required for treatment is available to patients exclusively at the Pulmonary Care Institute and is not available through retail pharmacies.
These responsibilities cannot be transferred to other outpatient services. This activity also involves mandatory public health and epidemiological obligations.
3–4. Lung screening evaluation and diagnostic work-up of selected cases:
- Screening images are evaluated and analysed independently by two specialists (Based on professional recommendations, at least one evaluating physician must be a pulmonologist; in our institute, both evaluations are performed by board-certified pulmonologists.)
- Diagnostic evaluation and treatment of individuals selected by screening, based on territorial healthcare responsibility
- Patients must be notified within 1 month if further examinations are required
- The affected individual receives written notification of the place and time of examination; in urgent cases, telephone notification is provided
Lung screening – Lung screening unit:
Since January 1, 2014, population-wide mandatory lung screening is no longer required.
Currently, screening is available by appointment only, with limited daily capacity.
- For individuals under 40 years of age: fee-based – 1,700 HUF per person.
- For individuals over 40 years of age, and for screenings performed for epidemiological reasons: free of charge.
Permanent Screening Unit (currently at Bethlen Street Outpatient Clinic) - provides lung screening for the general population of Debrecen and Hajdú-Bihar County, occupational health lung screening, and contact screening for TB patients. Services provided for residents of Debrecen and Hajdú-Bihar County:
- Permanent screening / Bethlen Street Outpatient Clinic: by appointment, between 07:00–19:00, approx. 80–100 persons/day