Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Educational needs of health-care providers, patients, and caregivers

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease associated with poor quality of life. Debilitating symptoms and the reality of shortened survival impact patients’ physical and emotional well-being and constrain the lives of patients’ caregivers. This study assessed the informational needs of medical providers who care for patients with IPF, IPF patients themselves, and their caregivers. Tailored surveys were sent electronically to providers, patients with IPF, and caregivers of patients with IPF collected on a rolling basis in March of 2017. Providers answered questions regarding their own informational needs and what information they believed patients needed. Patients and caregivers identified their own informational needs and the perceived needs for each other. About 2636 surveys were sent to providers, including 2041 to physicians, of whom 156 completed it. One hundred sixty patients and 29 caregivers responded to the survey via a link on a website. Eighty-six percent of providers described themselves as physicians who diagnose and treat IPF patients themselves. Providers ranked information on “making the diagnosis of IPF” as their top informational need. Patients and caregivers chose “disease progression/what to expect” as the most important informational need for themselves and for each other. Providers want to make a correct diagnosis when IPF is in the differential diagnosis. Patients and caregivers desire clarity around how IPF will behave over time and what their futures with IPF will look like. Resources for patients and their caregivers should include information on disease natural history in empathically worded, clear, and easily accessible formats.