Cystic Fibrosis Outpatient Care Clinic

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation recommends at least 4 quarterly visits per year to evaluate cystic fibrosis. This includes a multi-disciplinary approach of providing care at several levels. Additional visits may be required due to illnesses and increased symptoms.

Routine evaluations are performed with at least quarterly respiratory cultures, yearly social work visits, yearly dietary evaluations, yearly respiratory/chest physiotherapy review, yearly lab work to look at different aspects of cystic fibrosis care and a yearly chest x-ray. Patients will be notified if they need to obtain chest x-rays or other studies prior to their clinic appointment.

Patients will need to register at the Pulmonary clinic desk on the 5th floor of the Outpatient Care Clinic building. Patients with cystic fibrosis are required to wear a mask for contact precautions and should try to maintain at least 3 feet of distance between each other. Patients will be taken to a clinic room as soon as possible to have vital signs taken and will then be shown to their clinic room.

In case of illness and the need for hospital admission, patients and families will be asked to report to the Admitting Department for registration where they will receive a room number and be directed to the appropriate inpatient floor.

Routine Activities in the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic

• Patients/families will be asked intake questions by a cystic fibrosis nurse or their cystic fibrosis physician.
• Patients will meet with different provider groups including nurses, physicians, dieticians, social workers and respiratory therapists.
• Patients will be asked to do pulmonary function testing (PFTs) and obtain cystic fibrosis cultures (sputum or throat swab).
• Patients will be made aware of appropriate opportunities to be involved with cystic fibrosis research during their clinic visit.
• A treatment plan will be created with the patient/family, and patients will be given prescriptions (or have them sent electronically to their pharmacy) and an AVS (after visit summary) of their visit that day.
• Patients will make an appointment for the next cystic fibrosis visit at the registration desk before leaving.
• Patients may need to have lab work performed and should report to the Outpatient Lab located in the basement of the Outpatient Care Clinic building.