The physical and psychological needs of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Abstract

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease of unknown cause with an average life expectancy of 3 years. The physical and psychological needs of these patients are largely underappreciated.

The Sheffield Profile for the Assessment and Referral for Care is a multi-faceted health assessment, covering physical, psychological and social needs. A previous report on a selected population in a clinical study found significant unrecognised concerns using this questionnaire. We used this on an unselected group of IPF patients to see if this reflected clinical practice.

Methods: Patients attending the clinic from August to October 2015 who had a confirmed diagnosis of IPF were asked to complete the assessment. It has 45 questions with severity marked from not at all, to a little, quite a bit and very much. Results were analysed by simple descriptive statistics.

Results: A total of 114 questionnaires were collated. The most significant symptoms reported were breathlessness, cough and fatigue, with most experiencing insomnia and weight change A significant number were anxious, with low mood and a feeling that everything is an effort. At least 28% were concerned by the effect on their sex life.

Discussion

This study demonstrates a number of physical and psychological issues experienced by an unselected group of patients with IPF. We are now planning specific interventions to target these issues.