Illness experiences of patients with ischemic heart disease during their transitional phase from hospitalization to discharge in Japan

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of patients with
ischemic heart disease (IHD) during the transitional phase from hospitalization to discharge.
Twenty-four patients who experienced IHD for the first time comprised the sample
of the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted during the transitional phase.
The results of the qualitative inductive analysis showed two categories of illness experience
: (i) the connection of heart attack experience with the self, and (ii) the instability
of the self as a patient with heart disease. The participants were found to vacillate between
the self as patient with a heart disease and the typical self before the disease onset.
The transitional phase is the time when patients experience changes in their symptoms
and physical conditions rather than a condition of stability signifying recovery.
Patients are expected to manage the symptoms of their heart disease by themselves ;
however the participants showed signs and symptoms of confusion and anxiety about
facilitating their own care. These findings suggest the importance of outpatient nursing
practice focusing on the support and emphasis on nursing interventions for patient anxiety
and alleviation of confusion through the management of symptoms of heart disease
after discharge.

The journal of medical investigation : http://medical.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp/jmi/index.html