Request an Appointment: Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Program | UCSF Health

There are three ways to make an appointment:

By Fax

Have your doctor – either your general pulmonologist or primary care provider – fax the materials listed below to our clinic at (415) 353–8944, ATTN: ILD New Patient Coordinator.

  • UCSF Referral Form, completed by your doctor.
  • Medical history and physical.
  • Reports of all high-resolution CT scans of the chest – current and past. Current CT scan should be performed within approximately the last three months using our UCSF ILD clinic protocol for high-resolution chest CT scans.
  • Report of your most recent (within about three months) full pulmonary function test, including spirometry, lung volumes and diffusion capacity.
  • Pathology report from lung biopsy, if applicable.
  • Your contact information.
  • A clear copy of your insurance information.

By Mail

Mail the above materials to us at:

UCSF Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Program
ATTN: ILD New Patient Coordinator
400 Parnassus Ave., 6TH Floor A6114
Box 0359
San Francisco, CA 94143

By Phone

Call the UCSF Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Program Clinic at (415) 353-2577 to make or discuss a referral to our clinic. We will ask you to fax the above records.

We will review these materials, determine if further testing or records are needed before your appointment and then call you to make an appointment. Our goal is to ensure a comprehensive ILD clinic visit.

What to Bring to Your First Appointment

Once an appointment has been scheduled, we will mail you a new patient packet. This packet contains directions to our clinic, a description of what to expect during your visit and a questionnaire. Please bring the following to your appointment:

  • The completed questionnaire.
  • Your current CT scans (taken within the past 3 months), as well as past scans, on a CD. You can request these through the radiology department of the facility where the scans were performed. The new patient packet includes a radiology release form for your convenience.
  • Any other records that we requested you bring to the appointment.

If you have had a lung biopsy, we will work with the pathology department where the biopsy was performed to have the slides sent to us before your appointment. Occasionally, however, we ask patients to bring the slides with them to the appointment. We will discuss this with you when scheduling your appointment.

What to Expect From Your Appointment

Please arrive 30 minutes before your appointment. If you need to reschedule, please contact the ILD new patient coordinator at (415) 353-2577, option 2, at least 24 hours before your appointment.

Your visit will take about two to two and a half hours. A brief description of your visit is listed below. The order may vary slightly.

  • On arrival, you will check in, and then undergo a brief walk test and review of your medications (15 minutes).
  • You will meet with your ILD doctor, who will review your records, take your history, perform a physical exam, and discuss your diagnosis and treatment options (one hour).
  • You will meet with the ILD nurse, who will review the management plan, assist with any necessary scheduling, provide additional education about your diagnosis and specific recommendations from your doctor, and answer any questions you may have (15 minutes).
  • You will meet with a member of our ILD research team, who will talk to you about potential research studies for which you may be eligible (five minutes).

Your case will be reviewed in the afternoon at the ILD Multidisciplinary Conference by the entire ILD team – pulmonologists, ILD radiologists and ILD pathologists. Based on all data and conference discussion, your final diagnosis will be determined.

The ILD doctors will provide recommendations directly to your referring doctor, who will continue to be your primary treating doctor. We will speak with your referring doctor within a few days of your visit. We will also call you to discuss your diagnosis. We will mail a detailed consultation letter to you and your doctor within one to two weeks of your appointment.

Billing

Please bring your current insurance card to your appointment. Check with your insurance company to make sure it will cover the cost of your visit. In addition, if we review biopsy slides, your insurance must cover the cost of the pathologist's review and report. If your insurance company does not cover any of the charges incurred, you will be responsible for payment at the time of the visit. Lack of authorization from your insurance company for the visit or pathologist's consult (if applicable) will result in either the need to reschedule your appointment or the need for you to pay at the time of service.

Potential costs include fees for the visit with the doctor, pathologist's review and report, facility charges and any diagnostic testing – such as lung function tests, CT scans or blood tests – that we deem necessary to complete your evaluation.

Please contact our ILD new patient coordinator at (415) 353-2577, option 2, if you have questions. We look forward to meeting you.

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