ArticleBMJ open2021
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the follow-up and treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a cross-sectional, multicentre phone call survey.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence of anxiety and depression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC pulmonary medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Relationship Between Fear of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Patient Preferences for Medical Services in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2025Article
- A retrospective analysis of metabolic control in children with PKU in the COVID-19 era.Molecular genetics and metabolism reports · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo learn about the attitudes and behaviours of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in relation to the difficulties experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
designA cross-sectional, multicentre phone call survey.
settingFour university hospitals in Turkey.
participantsThe study included patients with IPF receiving antifibrotics for at least 3 months and with doctor appointment and/or scheduled routine blood analysis between March and May 2020 (the first 3 months after the official announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey).
interventionsPhone calls (a 5 min interview) were performed in June 2020. A questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale were applied.
main outcome measuresPatients' preferences for disease monitoring, patients' attitudes and behaviours towards IPF, drug continuation, COVID-19 diagnosis and anxiety/depression status.
resultsThe study included 115 patients with IPF (82 male; mean age, 68.43±7.44 years). Of the patients, 73.9% had doctor appointment and 52.2% had scheduled routine blood testing; 54.5% of patients with doctor appointment self-cancelled their appointments and 53.3% of patients with scheduled routine blood testing did not undergo testing. Of the patients, 32.2% were on nintedanib and 67.8% were on pirfenidone; self-initiated drug discontinuation rate was 22.6%. The percentage of patients communicating with their physicians was 35.7%. The route of communication was by phone (34.8%). The frequency of depression and anxiety was 27.0% and 38.3%, respectively. The rates of drug discontinuation (35.1% vs 16.7%, p<0.05) and depression (37.8% vs 21.8%, p=0.07) were higher in nintedanib users than in pirfenidone users. Only two (1.7%) patients had COVID-19 diagnosis.
conclusionsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant proportion (>50%) of patients self-cancelled their appointments and nearly a quarter of patients discontinued their medications. Providing a documentation of the problems experienced by patients with IPF about management of the necessary requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study may be a model for patients with chronic diseases.
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