IPF is an unpredictable, progressive, and life-limiting disease where patients and caregivers experience significant stress, symptom burden, poor quality of life, and inadequate preparedness for end-of-life planning.

In patients with oncologic diseases who carry poor prognosis similar to IPF, early palliative care has been shown to improve quality of life and symptom control, reduce aggressive and inappropriate end-of-life care that do not align with patients’ wishes, and decrease caregiver burden.

While beneficial in other patient populations, the benefits of early palliative care intervention have not been replicated in the IPF population.

Palliative care may be delivered by a member of the clinical care team, referred to as primary palliative care, or an interdisciplinary team, referred to as secondary, or specialty, palliative care.

Due to the unpredictable nature of IPF, early palliative care intervention, which includes pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies, can address symptom burden and improve quality of life for patients with IPF and their caregivers.