How the ‘Pulmonary Fibrosis News’ Forums Differ From Other Online Communities

Before you can access the groups and discussions in our new Pulmonary Fibrosis News forums, you’ll need to sign up and create a profile. To do this, go to the Forums page and click register; you’ll then be prompted to enter your name, age and whether you are a PF/IPF patient or caregiver. You’ll also have the option to write a short 300-word biography about yourself.

From there, you’ll be able to see all of the forum groups, along with all the topics that fall within that group. As an example, in the Pre/Post Lung Transplantation group, you will see topics such as “medication side effects & management” and “acute vs. chronic rejection concerns.” Please contribute to these existing topics, but feel free to add your own.

MORE: What to know about the brand new Pulmonary Fibrosis News forums

These forums have been designed to complement other online communities supporting PF patients. It offers another opportunity for patients to ask questions, engage in conversation and feel connected to others living with IPF/PF.  However, our forums do differ from other platforms in several ways:

We have a moderator.
Charlene Marshall, a regular columnist for Pulmonary Fibrosis News will be moderating the PF forum and frequently available for discussion, questions or support for patients and caregivers impacted by IPF/PF.

Expect regular/frequent contributions.
The role of the moderator will also be to ensure the forum stays active. Whether the discussion is on a small or large scale, or whether it’s related to new literature released or just an invitation for members to discuss an experience they had; contributions to the forum will be on a regular basis. The moderator will also respond to questions, concerns or fears from forum members in a timely manner, eliminating the feeling(s) of social isolation that some patients feel on a regular basis.

There are both private and public groups.
Some Pulmonary Fibrosis News forum groups have been designed for specific populations only and are therefore private. Unlike a Facebook page where a group welcomes anyone impacted by the disease, some of our forum groups have been created for only patients or caregivers. This ensures that patients can voice any/all fears without the worry that it may be seen and misinterpreted by caregivers. This also goes for caregivers — they’ll be able to voice their concern without fear of patients seeing their discussions. The intention is to offer each group a safe platform where they can voice how they’re feeling.

We’ll monitor the audience.
Unfortunately for all social media platforms and online communities, spam and false advertisers are a growing concern. With a moderator in place, all spam concerns or companies looking to sell products or engage patients for financial purposes will be promptly deleted. In addition, all inappropriate comments will be deleted. Bullying or belittling anyone won’t be tolerated and will be shut down by the forum moderator.

Additional features of the forum include the ability to use and add various media to your posts, including videos, images, links and podcasts. There is also a private messaging option, giving you the opportunity to connect with another member of the community and discuss more personal or private issues. To do this, simply go to the profile page of the person you’d like to reach out to and click the “private message” tab to start a conversation. You will receive a notification if and when they reply.

MORE: How to find positives when living with IPF

Pulmonary Fibrosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.