Rupal J. Shah, MD, discusses impacts of health disparities on patients with interstitial lung disease, such as misdiagnosis. Because ILD comprises rare diseases with a heterogeneous presentation, patients are often misdiagnosed with another pulmonary or heart disease.
Compounding these factors and adding to the delay of diagnosis, Dr Shah points to the fact that many patients live in rural areas without access to pulmonary rehab centers or are underinsured or uninsured, further limiting their access to costly treatments, such as antifibrotic therapies. However, Dr Shah sees hope in the future with innovations such as telehealth visits and home monitoring devices which can improve access to care.
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Cite this: Innovative Tools to Help Lessen Disparities for Patients With Interstitial Lung Disease - Medscape - Apr 26, 2023.
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