PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Marlies S. Wijsenbeek AU - Francesco Bonella AU - Leticia Orsatti AU - Anne-Marie Russell AU - Claudia Valenzuela AU - Wim A. Wuyts AU - Walter F. Baile TI - Communicating with patients with IPF: can we do it better? AID - 10.1183/23120541.00422-2021 DP - 2021 Jan 01 TA - ERJ Open Research PG - 00422-2021 4099 - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/early/2021/10/14/23120541.00422-2021.short 4100 - http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/early/2021/10/14/23120541.00422-2021.full AB - Communications between clinicians and patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have the potential to be challenging. The variable course and poor prognosis of IPF complicate discussions around life expectancy but should not prevent clinicians from having meaningful conversations about patients’ fears and needs, while acknowledging uncertainties. Patients want information about the course of their disease and management options, but the provision of information needs to be individualised to the needs and preferences of the patient. Communication from clinicians should be empathetic and take account of the patient's perceptions and concerns. Models, tools and protocols are available that can help clinicians to improve their interactions with patients. In this article, we consider the difficulties inherent in discussions with patients with IPF and their loved ones, and how clinicians might communicate with patients more effectively, from breaking the news about the diagnosis to providing support throughout the course of the disease.FootnotesThis manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the ERJ Open Research. It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJOR online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article.Conflict of interest: Dr. Wijsenbeek reports other from Boehringer Ingelheim, during the conduct of the study; grants, non-financial support and other from Boehringer Ingelheim, grants, non-financial support and other from Hoffman la Roche, other from Galapagos, other from Respivant, other from Savara, other from Novartis, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr. Bonella reports personal fees and non-financial support from Boehringer Ingelheim, personal fees and non-financial support from Roche, personal fees and non-financial support from Galapagos, personal fees and non-financial support from Fujirebio, personal fees and non-financial support from Brystol-Meyer-Squibb, personal fees and non-financial support from GSK, outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: The author (Leticia Orsatti) is an employee of Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH.Conflict of interest: Dr. Russell reports grants and personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim , personal fees from Irish Lung Fibrosis Association, personal fees from Hoffman La Roche, outside the submitted work; .Conflict of interest: Dr. Valenzuela reports personal fees from F. Hoffmann-La Roche, personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim , personal fees from Galapagos, personal fees from BMS, outside the submitted work; .Conflict of interest: Dr. Wuyts reports grants and other from Boehringer Ingelheim, grants from Roche, all via my institution outside the submitted work.Conflict of interest: Dr. Baile reports “have been a paid speaker for presenting at workshops on IPF produced by Boehringer-Ingelheim but my work for them in teaching communication skills has no relation to products or other materials related to their business”