Let’s start with a brief introduction to DME. Durable Medical Equipment includes a broad range of medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators and tanks, wheelchairs, CPAP machines and many others. Under traditional Medicare, part B covers 80% of the cost of such equipment and the patient covers the remaining 20%. If patients have a secondary insurance or “MediGap” … [Read more...]
Stay Connected
Chronic illness like Pulmonary Fibrosis can lead to many important changes in your life. Activities that you used to enjoy can become more difficult or even impossible to perform. As a physician who practices in Arizona, many of my patients are or were ardent golfers. As their illness progressed they often gave up golfing. This led to loss of connection with their golfing … [Read more...]
Pre-Procedure/Pre-Operative Check List for IPF Patients
Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis are not immune from other medical problems and we are often faced with the possibility of our patients requiring invasive care for non-lung problems. Minimizing risk requires careful communication between all involved parties. In order to provide the best advice to my patients I ask a series of questions designed to help understand the … [Read more...]
How is My Pulmonary Fibrosis Doing?
Unfortunately in IPF, we currently have no therapy that improves lung function. As a result, we settle for stability as the goal of therapy. Currently approved therapies (OFEV and Esbriet) have both been shown to reduce the rate of decline in lung capacity compared to placebo. How do we track the progression or stability of IPF? There are three broad ways that your … [Read more...]
What if My Pulmonary Fibrosis is Getting Worse?
The first and most important point is that regular evaluations of your lung function and exercise capacity are important to identify if your IPF is getting worse. Patients may feel worse for many reasons—some lung related and others in no way related to lung function. As a result, I am a believer in regular pulmonary function testing and six minute walks. In the patient … [Read more...]