Toward a Model of Self-management; Identifying Gaps and Needs in Services for Patients With Interstitial Lung Disease

Treating and caring for people with long term conditions accounts for a substantial proportion of health care resources. Self-management is advocated as a mechanism that can empower service users with long term conditions to choose healthier options and also transform the relationship between service user and caregivers from one in which the former is a passive recipient of care to one in which they are an active partner in decision-making.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one such long term condition. Patients with ILD often express concern about the lack of information on possible rehabilitation programmes and other services that could potentially improve self-management of the disease. In addition, there is a general perception about a lack of co-ordination between health care professionals especially in relation to referral to services for comprehensive management of the disease. Therefore, the needs of patients with ILD and their carers, and possible gaps in service provision need to be explored further.

In this study, the investigators propose to explore the needs of ILD patients from all types of ILD and all stages of severity and to also involve carers and clinicians. The investigators will conduct three focus groups for patients and carers and six one-to-one interviews with clinicians to explore perceptions about service gaps and needs in two ILD centres in South and North London, UK.

This study will provide valuable information to develop the building blocks of a self-management resource and will enable the investigators to make it specific to the different types of ILD.