{
  "abstract": "Background and rationale The American Thoracic Society recommends long-term supplemental oxygen therapy (O 2) for individuals with interstitial lung disease who experience hypoxaemia due to its potential to improve symptoms. However, studies have shown that patient education regarding the use of O2 is inadequate. Our aim was to explore the educational needs of individuals with interstitial lung disease (ILD) using O2 therapy. Given that many educational tools are based on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a secondary aim was to examine how O2 therapy education needs differ between ILD and COPD.Methods Focus groups and semistructured interviews were used to understand the perspectives of individuals living with ILD or COPD and healthcare professionals (HCPs). Participants were recruited from Alberta, Canada. Individuals living with ILD or COPD were recruited through province-wide disease support groups while HCPs were recruited from a previous study. Separate focus groups were conducted for each participant category: (1) HCPs, (2) individuals with a lived experience with ILD and (3) individuals with a lived experience of COPD. An inductive coding approach was employed, guided by thematic analysis.Results 20 HCPs with a mean of 20.9 (SD±0.7) years of experience in healthcare and a mean of 12.8 (SD±8.4) years of experience working with individuals with ILD participated. 13 individuals with ILD and one ILD caregiver and 10 individuals with COPD participated in the study. Common themes among individuals with ILD and COPD were person-centred approaches to education, establishing ongoing support and building confidence through knowledge and learning. Compared with COPD, ILD-specific educational needs included the importance of more frequent assessments of O 2 therapy needs and an emphasis on maintaining higher flow rates when using O2 therapy.Conclusion We identified educational approaches that focus on empowerment, confidence-building and establishing support systems may facilitate the use of O 2 therapy in individuals with ILD.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Alberta Department of Medicine, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Samira D Rowland"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Alberta Department of Medicine, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Heather Sharpe"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Alberta Department of Medicine, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Giovanni Ferrara"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Kerri A Johannson"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Alberta Department of Medicine, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Meena Kalluri"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Alberta Department of Medicine, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Stephanie Thompson"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Division of Pulmonary Medicine, University of Alberta Department of Medicine, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada"
      ],
      "name": "Michael K Stickland"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Education needs in oxygen therapy for individuals with interstitial lung disease",
  "uid": "ac2db26a-7cf7-5037-819d-57e563f2b0fe"
}