A narrative literature review of palliative care regarding patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the reported characteristics of extant studies on palliative care for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. DESIGN: Narrative review. METHODS: A comprehensive search of the following electronic databases in English and Japanese commenced from 2002 ‐ December 2017. Eligibility criteria was determined by the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: Nineteen articles were eligible. The characteristics of palliative care for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis were symptoms relief, start time of palliative care and palliative care needs of patients and care partners. Also, patients' education of disease management including advanced care planning and developing a palliative care system by the healthcare provider including multidisciplinary professional teams was identified. The care provided was a “care conference” and integrated palliative care was carried out in the patient's home. The majority of the studies were qualitative and retrospective in design. The palliative care system and the development of palliative care were limited.