Online Interactive Program Aims to Better Inform IPF Patients and Caregivers
People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and their caregivers, can learn more about this disease and its care using a free and online interactive program developed by ProPatient, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF), and the Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning (ACHL).
Called “Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Partnering with Your Doctor,” the educational program offers information and tips that range from disease diagnosis to treatments to traveling or exercising with IPF.
“Our platform uses a combination of simulations and smart checklists to educate patients and caregivers, and also to help them get more from their doctor visits,” Joanne Schaberick, Propatient’s co-founder, said in a news release.
The PFF and ACHL, which specializes in health education, teamed up with ProPatient, a provider of online tools for patients. The program is on ACHL’s site, the newest addition to its online portfolio of patient programs that also include cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.
“We aim to serve as the trusted resource for all who are affected by this disease,” said Kate Gates, director of programs at the PFF. “Our partnership with ProPatient supports an ongoing dialogue with physicians, researchers, industry representatives, and the patient community.”
The program, available through this link, is supported by educational grants from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and Genentech.
IPF is a rare and serious lung disease of unknown cause. The condition causes progressive scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs, and usually affects middle-age and older adults. As the lung tissue thickens, the lungs lose their ability to transport oxygen into the bloodstream, so less oxygen reaches the brain and other organs. IPF has no cure, but available therapies can help patients manage symptoms.
