The CHEST Foundation hosted its Lung Health Experience during the 2018 CHEST Annual Meeting on Saturday at the Main Plaza Conservancy in San Antonio. Open to the public, the free event built awareness of lung health, screened for COPD, promoted healthy lung habits, and provided patient education on lung health conditions. Participants experienced what it was like to have lung disease by walking through the virtual patient tour.

The virtual patient tour hosted four stations that educated attendees on how asthma and COPD affect airflow, spirometry readings, everyday activities, and lung capacities. The event featured a set of pig lungs that simulated what human lungs look like during inhalation and exhalation.

The Lung Health Experience is a traveling community service program designed to connect the public with local lung health experts, so they can begin a conversation in a casual, fun environment about the importance of lung health. The program has visited Oklahoma City, Nashville, Chicago, Toronto, and Los Angeles, screening more than 1,000 people.