This webinar explores the roles of healthcare professionals in Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) management, focusing on care coordination, symptom management, and the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) process.
Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) care is essential for managing pulmonary fibrosis. The Multidisciplinary Team process involves various specialists working together to diagnose and treat the condition. This includes respiratory physicians, radiologists, pathologists, specialist nurses, rheumatologists, and immunologists.
The diagnostic process starts with a detailed history and examination by a respiratory physician. This includes assessing symptoms like cough, breathlessness, weight loss, and fatigue, and understanding the impact on quality of life. Questions about occupational risks, environmental factors, and family history help identify the underlying cause. Initial assessments include CT scans, lung function tests, six-minute walk tests, blood tests, and echocardiograms.
Multidisciplinary Team meetings are held to discuss each patient’s case in detail. The respiratory physician presents the clinical history, and the radiologist reviews CT scans. If pathology is available, the pathologist provides insights. The team then makes a consensus diagnosis and recommends management plans, which may include treatments, further tests, or referrals for lung transplants, genetic screening, or clinical trials.
Treatment options often involve antifibrotic medications, which require an multidisciplinary team diagnosis for government funding. Other treatments may include immunosuppressive medications for inflammatory lung fibrosis, optimising comorbidities, and symptom-focused treatments for cough and breathlessness. Pulmonary rehabilitation is highly recommended for improving exercise capacity and quality of life.
Disease monitoring involves regular follow-ups to assess symptoms, lung function, and CT scans. The multidisciplinary team, including specialist nurses, physicians, GPs, and physiotherapists, plays a crucial role in monitoring disease progression and managing complications like pulmonary hypertension.
Future advancements in multidisciplinary team care aim to personalise treatment based on individual patient needs and characteristics. Clinical trials and ongoing research continue to improve patient outcomes and expand treatment options.
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