PFF Summit Will Focus on Research, Quality of Life
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With an emphasis on research and how well patients are living, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s (PFF) PFF Summit 2021 is set to take place virtually Nov. 8–13.
The global biennial pulmonary fibrosis (PF) conference, which is sponsored in part by Boehringer Ingelheim, will offer live, interactive educational sessions ranging from genetic counseling and the PFF Registry to exercise and art therapy.
The event, which also will include question-and-answer sessions and panel discussions, is aimed at patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and those who have lost a loved one to the lung condition that is thought to affect more than 250,000 individuals in the U.S.
“We are excited to bring even more members of the PF community together with this year’s virtual format for the PFF Summit,” William T. Schmidt, PFF’s president and CEO, said in a press release. “Our sessions will feature top experts presenting the latest information about care and treatments for individuals with PF.”
Keynote speakers will provide updates on scientific investigations and patient quality of life. On Nov. 10, Gary Gibbons, MD, director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will give a presentation about the importance of PF-related research to the NHLBI.
That keynote presentation will be followed by discussions about the PRECISIONS trial (NCT04300920), the first study seeking to apply precision medicine strategies for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Follow-up topics will include research results from the PFF Registry and racial disparities in healthcare outcomes for PF patients.
The advantages of arming patients and caregivers with information and strategies for end-of-life care will be presented by registered nurse Kathleen O. Lindell, PhD, associate professor and Mary Swain Endowed Chair in Palliative Care Health in the College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Additional subjects that will be addressed by other speakers at the conference include psychological well-being, integrative therapies, and pulmonary rehabilitation benefits for patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs).
In other sessions, discussion topics will include support and coping strategies for lung transplant recipients, clinical trial innovations, and how to handle persistent cough. There will also be workshops on meditation, nutrition, and navigating telehealth.
Physicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals are invited to the summit’s continuing medical education and maintenance of certification program. These sessions will cover clinical research on ILDs.
On Nov. 12–13, the Nurse and Allied Health Network will discuss ILDs and oxygen legislation. Meanwhile, community pulmonologists will discuss updates on the diagnosis and treatment of ILDs in a set of special sessions.
The complete PFF Summit 2021 program is available here. Registration fees start at $25 for patients, caregivers, lung transplant recipients, or individuals who have lost a loved one to PF.
Scientific abstracts will be accepted through Sept. 10. Abstract submissions can be made here.
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