Background/Purpose: Family planning discussions improve pregnancy outcomes in women with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Women with interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF), a subset of ILD, are at risk for pregnancy complications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the documentation of family planning discussions with IPAF patients of childbearing age by pulmonary and rheumatology providers at an academic medical center.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of pulmonary and rheumatology encounters in reproductive aged women with IPAF to evaluate documentation of family planning discussions. We employed non-parametric measures of association to evaluate the relationship between patient characteristics and the presence of family planning discussion documentation by providers.

Results: Thirty one women met IPAF classification and were £50 years of age at initial ILD clinic visit. Twenty-five (83%) of these women had risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Ten women (33%) had a discussion of family planning or record of contraceptive use during any visit with their pulmonary provider. Out of the 21 patients who also saw a rheumatology provider, 12 (57%) women had a record of discussion of family planning or contraceptive use during any visit with their rheumatology provider.

Conclusion: Neither pulmonary nor rheumatology providers consistently discussed family planning with reproductive aged women with IPAF. There was a non-statistically significant trend for rheumatology providers to discuss reproductive issues with IPAF patients more frequently than pulmonary providers. Efforts should focus on educating providers about the need for family planning discussions in women with IPAF of childbearing age.

« Back to ACR Convergence 2022

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/inconsistent-family-planning-documentation-in-women-with-interstitial-pneumonia-with-autoimmune-features-ipaf/