Respiratory medicine is a subspecialty of internal medicine that encompasses diseases of the respiratory system, including the upper airway, lungs, pleura, chest wall, and ventilatory control system. It incorporates knowledge of normal and disordered respiratory structure and function, clinical respiratory diseases, and the specialised diagnostic techniques, tests, and procedures employed in clinical assessment. It involves an understanding of the interaction of the respiratory system with the external environment.

Respiratory diseases are one of the most common diseases in the community and include conditions such as asthma, COPD, pneumonia, sleep-disordered breathing, and lung cancer. Respiratory medicine involves the promotion of hygiene and health practices to reduce the transmission and severity of respiratory infections and manage communicable diseases. This includes occupational and environmental causes (including smoking and vaping) of lung disease. Respiratory medicine involves research, education, early detection, and screening for respiratory conditions and sleep-disordered breathing, holistic care for people with heritable / chronic conditions (including cystic fibrosis) and the management of acute and chronic respiratory failure, both at home and in the acute setting.

Respiratory physicians:

Diagnose and manage patients in a variety of settings. Respiratory physicians see patients with a wide range of respiratory and sleep conditions while working across several environments including academic, public hospital, private, metropolitan, and regional.

Conduct and interpret clinical, radiological and laboratory investigations for patients presenting with a variety of respiratory and sleep symptoms, with reference to underlying physiology.

Perform interventions including oxygen therapy, assisted ventilation, aerosol therapy, pleural procedures, and bronchoscopy.

Provide acute, longitudinal, and end-of-life care. Respiratory physicians establish long-term therapeutic relationships with patients and their families, using a multidisciplinary approach. They work to manage and ease patient discomfort both acutely and in the practice of end-of-life care.

Apply a multidisciplinary approach. Respiratory physicians are required to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team. They may be called upon to be the team leader and have a collaborative approach focused on building relationships.

Work sensitively with a variety of patients. Respiratory physicians work with patients to address determinants of health that affect them and their access to needed health services or resources, providing culturally safe education and support in a professional, empathic, and non-judgemental manner.

Demonstrate strong communication skills. Respiratory physicians must develop an effective interviewing technique and an ability to relate to patients from all walks of life. They appreciate when referral to a more appropriate or more qualified practitioner in a particular subspecialty is necessary.

Manage resources for the benefit of patients and communities. Respiratory physicians apply a biopsychosocial approach to ensure the delivery of efficient, cost-effective, and safe care for the benefit of their patients and communities.

Apply a scholarly approach. Respiratory physicians apply and, at times, conduct research to discover better ways of understanding, diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease.

Advocate for improved respiratory health in the community. Respiratory physicians advocate on both an individual patient and broader community level on issues including occupational lung diseases, lung cancer screening, smoking, and vaping.

Last modified: Wednesday, 20 August 2025, 3:39 PM