Experiences of Patients with Heart Failure in Transition from Hospital to Home in China: A Qualitative Study

• الحاوية / القاعدة: Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare
• المؤلفون الرئيسيون: Zhou J, Zhao J, Xin J, Guo Y, Jiang E, Chen C
• التنسيق: مقال
• اللغة: الإنجليزية
• منشور في: Dove Medical Press 2025-09-01
• الموضوعات: Heart failure; Transitional care; Patient-centred care; Health service accessibility; Self-care
• الوصول للمادة أونلاين: https://www.dovepress.com/experiences-of-patients-with-heart-failure-in-transition-from-hospital-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JMDH

Junya Zhou,1 Junping Zhao,2 Juhua Xin,1 Yali Guo,3 Enshe Jiang,1 Chaoran Chen1 1School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, 475004, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiology, Henan Provincial Key Medicine Laboratory of Nursing, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou University People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450003, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 451191, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Chaoran Chen, School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, North Section of Jinming Avenue, Longting District, Kaifeng, Henan, 475004, People’s Republic of China, Tel [phone], Email [e-mail]: To explore the transitional care experiences of patients with heart failure (HF) in China, identifying the challenges they face and their needs during the transition from hospital to home.Methods: A qualitative approach was employed, recruiting 18 participants from a tertiary hospital cardiology department between June and October 2023. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis.Results: Among the participants, 83% (15/18) reported feeling inadequately prepared for self-monitoring, with rural patients facing additional difficulties; 67% (12/18) relied on unverified online resources for health information, and 78% (14/18) surrendered medication management to family members. Finally, 89% (16/18) expressed a need for extended hospital guidance, with rural participants highlighting financial difficulty as a significant concern.Conclusion: The study concludes that there is an urgent need for transitional care reform in China, including standardised discharge protocols, hospital-led telehealth platforms and government-subsidised rehabilitation programmes. These interventions should address urban–rural disparities and reduce caregiver dependency to improve the quality of life for patients with HF during the transition from hospital to home.Keywords: heart failure, transitional care, patient-centred care, health service accessibility, self-care