PFF Awareness Campaign, ‘Pinpoint PF,’ Opening in December

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) plans to launch “Pinpoint PF,” an educational and awareness campaign for those at risk of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) or showing symptoms, in December.

“We introduced the campaign … during the PFF’s virtual Volunteer Meeting and received an enthusiastic response from our PFF Ambassadors and Support Group Leaders, who are instrumental in promoting disease awareness and providing hope and inspiration to the PF community,” William Schmidt, president and CEO of the PFF, said in a press release.

PF patients experience a wide range of symptoms, including breathlessness, fatigue and cough. However, according to the PFF, more than 80% of people in the U.S. do not recognize these symptoms as signs of PF. Since many are also not PF-specific, doctors often first look to other disorders as well.

“For PF patients, the road to diagnosis can be long and difficult. Too often, the disease goes misdiagnosed or takes months to years to identify, and, for many, the first time they hear of it is when they are diagnosed,” Schmidt said.

Pinpoint PF aims to encourage people to be more aware of PF symptoms and to report any they have to their doctors more quickly. By stressing their symptoms, patients will help healthcare professionals reach an earlier diagnosis, allowing for better treatment.

“Our goal for the ‘Pinpoint PF’ campaign is to further increase visibility of PF and to drive home the importance of early diagnosis in order to help improve the quality of life for those with this debilitating disease,” Schmidt said.

Starting in December, the initiative will be promoted online and through other forms of advertisement.

This campaign follows the PFF awareness-raising initiative “Not Everyone Breathes Easy,” which launched an educational website for people to learn about PF’s symptoms and risk factors. It offers patient testimonials, a video explaining the disease, and a risk list that people can download and bring with them to medical appointments.

About 200,000 website visits were recorded during this two-year campaign, and 1.3 billion media impressions — signals of interaction with online content — were generated, the PFF stated.

The Foundation provides a support line 844-825-5733 (312-587-9272 for calls originating outside the U.S.) for people needing assistance or wanting to learn more.