Unravelling support needs and informal care in COPD and ILD

(Dis)similarities in support needs and informal care provision across respiratory conditions could inform optimised care, yet those remain unexplored. We study aimed to characterize and compare the support needs and informal care of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). A cross-sectional study was conducted. Participants were asked about their support needs, the relationship and nature of assistance and the weekly hours of support received (≤8h, 8-20h, 20-40h, ≥40h or full-time). Differences between COPD and ILD were tested with Fisher’s exact test. 144 participants comprising 64 people with COPD (71±8y; 77% ♂; FEV1 57.5±17.1%p) and 80 with ILD (68±11y; 49% ♂; FVC 79.6±19.3%p; DLCO 53.6±20.6%p) were included. 77% of those with COPD and 68% with ILD relied on informal care, mainly from spouses or son/daughter, with 49% of COPD and 41% of ILD participants needing over 20 hours of care weekly. Differences were found in people with ILD who required more help with basic and instrumental daily activities (e.g., assistance with dressing, personal hygiene, housekeeping, and shopping) than those with COPD, while COPD patients relied more on emotional support from carers (Figure 1). People with COPD and ILD heavily rely on informal care and overall present similar needs. Disease-specific needs seem to exist but need further research. These results underscore the vital role of informal carers. <fig><object-id>erj;64/suppl_68/PA614/F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><graphic></graphic></fig>