ELF participates in editorial on overcoming geographic isolation in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

The Irish Lung Fibrosis Association (ILFA) and ELF were recently asked by Prof. Athol Wells to contribute to an editorial to accompany a paper in the Journal of Respirology. Prof. Wells, ILFA and ELF had previously collaborated on work focussing on communication difficulties between healthcare professionals and people living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF): https://openres.ersjournals.com/content/5/2/00055-2019.figures-only.

The current paper explains how the Australian Lung Foundation has provided virtual peer support, to people living with IPF who lived a long way away from each other.

This paper being published during the COVID-19 pandemic, meant it was an important time to discuss some of the issues related to telemedicine for future healthcare provision, including points such as:

• training healthcare professionals using telemedicine to help them to interact in this new way,
• finding ways to be able to include carers in remote consultations, and
• the inability to read body language when communicating by phone or online.

Read the full paper:

Title: Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Overcoming ‘geographic isolation’

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/resp.13883