Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease

Occupational Lung Disease

The Cleveland Clinic Occupational Lung Disease Clinic began in 2021, with a focus on caring for patients with a broad range of occupational and exposure related conditions. . It serves patients by offering clinical care in all four geographic regions of Northeast Ohio. Cleveland Clinic has been a long-standing leader in the evaluation and management of chronic beryllium disease, one occupational lung disease with a higher prevalence in Ohio. It is also formally certified to provide 413bᵃ examinations for the evaluation of black lung, including in-house NIOSH certified chest imaging B readsᵇ. It has an active NIH-funded research portfolio to map occupational air pollution in agricultural workers.

Occupational Lung Disease Specific Clinic Encounters by Diagnosis Group

2020-2022

The following chart highlights the growth of the clinic to date, fulfilling a previously unmet need within our community.

Across main campus and our regional sites, we have seen a significant increase in the number of patients receiving screening and treatment for occupational lung disease.

NIOSH = National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health

NIH = National Institutes of Health

ᵃ413b examinations are a complete pulmonary evaluation performed to screen for disease caused by coal mining employment. These examinations are only available at a limited number of sites throughout the country, and are required for miners to receive Black Lung Benefits.

ᵇThe B-reading is a special reading of a standard chest x-ray film performed by a physician certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and is an important part of screening for diseases caused by coal mine dust, silica and other occupational exposures.

Podcasts

Cleveland Clinic Respiratory Institute hosts two different podcasts, available on Apple, Google, Soundcloud and Spotify. Click on a link below to find and listen to the following podcasts:

‘Occupational Lung Disease’ and ‘What You Need to Know About Beryllium Exposure’ hosted by Raed Dweik, MD, MBA, Chair of the Respiratory Institute at Cleveland Clinic, with guest Maeve Macmurdo, MBChB, MPH, Director of the Occupational Lung Disease Clinic.