PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Sarah Masefield AU - Michele Vitacca AU - Michael Dreher AU - Michael Kampelmacher AU - Joan Escarrabill AU - Mara Paneroni AU - Pippa Powell AU - Nicolino Ambrosino TI - Attitudes and preferences of home mechanical ventilation users from four European countries: an ERS/ELF survey AID - 10.1183/23120541.00015-2017 DP - 2017 Apr 01 TA - ERJ Open Research PG - 00015-2017 VI - 3 IP - 2 4099 - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/3/2/00015-2017.short 4100 - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/3/2/00015-2017.full SO - erjor2017 Apr 01; 3 AB - Home mechanical ventilation is increasingly used by people with chronic respiratory failure. However, there are few reports on attitudes towards treatment.A web-based survey in eight languages was disseminated across 11 European countries to evaluate the perception of home mechanical ventilation provision in ventilator-assisted individuals and caregivers.Out of 787 responders from 11 European countries, 687 were patients and 100 were caregivers. 95% of patients and 94% of caregivers were from only 4 countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain). The majority of respondents were male and aged 46–65 years. Obstructive lung diseases were proportionally more represented among respondent patients (46%), and neuromuscular diseases (65%) were more represented among patients of respondent caregivers. About 20% of respondent patients and caregivers were not sure of the modality of ventilation. Different interfaces were used, with a minority of respondents in all countries using invasive home mechanical ventilation by tracheostomy.These results may be useful for healthcare providers and policy makers to improve the quality of patients' daily lives.An @ERStalk/@EuropeanLung survey of European ventilator users http://ow.ly/u5e130csNFs