If he didn’t have a nurse educator in his Winnipeg office, community-based respirologist Dr. Lawrence Homik, knows his pulmonary fibrosis patients would not be nearly as well served. 

“It’s tremendously helpful. There is a gap,” says Dr. Homik. “Clinicians can spend the time they need to make the diagnosis, but patients need to hear more about the impact it will have on their lives. Pulmonary Fibrosis is serious, and a potentially fatal condition,  and it’s a great help to have someone who can spend a little more time reinforcing the diagnosis, the ins and outs of management choices, helping to access timely care dealing with any side effects that might occur, answering questions and directing them to other resources like support groups.”

The nurse educator is made possible through the Access to Health Education and Disease Management (AHEAD program) with unrestricted support from Boehringer Ingelheim Canada. Allied healthcare professionals (AHCPs) work within clinics to support patients living with interstitial lung disease (ILD). 

ILD refers to over 200 lung disorders involving damage to the interstitium, the tissue supporting the air sacs. Inflammation and scarring disrupt gas exchange, resulting in shortness of breath and cough. Causes include autoimmune diseases, environmental factors, and genetics, but some cases have unknown causes. The damage can become irreversible, affecting lung function.

Aiming to improve patient outcomes, Boehringer Ingelheim Canada launched the AHEAD ILD pilot program in December 2024. The program seeks to achieve this by improving timely diagnosis and condition management, while also reducing the burden on patients through enhanced access to health resources for education, symptom control, management adherence, and life planning. Over the course of the last six months, ten ILD programs have been running concurrently across the country.

“Those who have progressive pulmonary fibrosis, a term used to describe ILD that exhibits a specific pattern worsening over time, have limited life expectancy and need support to manage as best as possible,” says Dr. Homik.

Immediately following a diagnosis, the program works by providing patients with an hour-long meeting with an AHEAD nurse educator to discuss the diagnosis, provide patients with information about the management options and address questions. The nurse educator then serves as an on-going navigator, coordinating and monitoring frequent blood work, adherence to management plans, and directing questions to ensure timely answers.

“Patients living with ILD benefit greatly from the support provided by allied healthcare professionals. These professionals offer counseling, access to pulmonary rehabilitation and management plans, and connect patients with a range of essential education and services, including transportation, home care, support groups, and emotional support,” says Dr. Rasha Eldesouky Abouelabbas, Vice President, Medical and Regulatory Affairs, Boehringer Ingelheim Canada.

Dr. Homik is grateful for the unrestricted support from Boehringer Ingelheim Canada. He would like to see other hospitals and clinics adopt the program but acknowledges “the barrier is just getting support for these sorts of things.” 

Preliminary evaluation survey results of the AHEAD ILD programs running in Canada suggest this project has addressed a gap or need in the clinic, improved daily workflow and led to positive behavioral changes in participants.

This spring, when surveyed, clinicians reported that participating clinics unanimously (100 per cent) experienced improved access to helpful information, resources, disease management, and overall quality of life. “We know that patients do better when they have the education and resources at their fingertips,” says Dr. Eldesouky. 

Dr. Homik sees so much value in the program that if the support for the nurse educator in his office were to disappear, “I would probably do it out of pocket. It is simply better healthcare. That matters.”

Boehringer Ingelheim Canada is dedicated to addressing critical gaps in the healthcare system. Programs such as AHEAD contribute to better health outcomes and strengthen the overall infrastructure of healthcare delivery, ensuring that people living with ILD receive the support they need.

To learn more about Boehringer Ingelheim Canada, please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/ca

By Beatrice Politi