Survey on the Influence of Living Environment Factors on Diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in Foshan

Abstract

Purpose of the study: (a) investigate the relationship between the time and diagnosis of IPF and its influencing factors, (b) provide information from patients' real-life diagnostic experiences for the development of more rational diagnostic pathways and the introduction of more treatment options and technologies, and (c) improve the publics’ awareness of IPF and promote the prevention of IPF.
 Methods of investigation: A questionnaire was designed to survey 37 patients with IPF in January 2022, including general information questionnaires and age, sex, time for diagnosis, etc. Ridge regression analysis was used to explore the factors influencing the length and difficulty of IPF diagnosis. In addition, 11 respiratory physicians were interviewed by online interview about the difficulty of IPF diagnosis, treatment options, and patient prognosis.
 Results: The stress caused by the lack of formal diagnosis (B=0.617, p<0.001), the high cost of the diagnosis process (B=0.509, p<0.001), and the number of misdiagnoses or missed diagnoses (B=0.177, p<0.005) were significantly related to the length and difficulty of the IPF diagnosis (p<0.05).
 Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for new appropriate, convenient, and economical diagnostic procedures to be developed and designed. Simultaneously, professionals should strengthen the dissemination of disease understanding among the susceptible population, improve understanding and attention to the patients' condition, and conduct more lectures on the basics of avoiding IPF to strengthen the knowledge, which can effectively improve the mental quality of the susceptible population, in conjunction with the advice given by the doctors in the interviews.