Primary care physicians (PCPs) often face challenges in diagnosing complex pulmonary issues in patients, particularly when nonspecific symptoms appear similar to cardiovascular issues, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
However, clinicians can cover both pulmonary and cardiovascular concerns during an exam, potentially shortening delays in the diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), including pulmonary fibrosis (PF).
“ILDs are complex, chronic progressive diseases with a great impact on a patient’s quality of life and survival. These are often underdiagnosed, or there is significant delay in diagnosis after onset of symptoms due to a multitude of reasons,” said Tejaswini Kulkarni, MD, associate professor of pulmonary,…