The Implementation Gap: A Qualitative Analysis of Determinants of Sexual Counseling Among Coronary Heart Disease Patients in China

Objective: Coronary heart disease affects the quality of sexual life of patients, sexual life is very important for patients. Sexual counseling is an effective intervention to improve the quality of sexual life in patients with coronary heart disease. However, the implementation of sexual counseling is not very well. Therefore, Based on the theoretical framework, this study aims to explore the influencing factors of the implementation of sexual counseling in patients with coronary heart disease in China, in order to identify its key determinants. Methods: A descriptive qualitative research design was used to explore the determinants of sexual counseling implementation in China. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Theoretical saturation and validation strategies were used to demonstrate the adequacy of the qualitative data. To enhance methodological rigor, the study referred to the 32-item checklist of the Consolidated Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Thematic analysis was used to extract themes and map themes to the theoretical framework to complete the qualitative data. Results: A total of 10 medical staff and 13 patients were included in the study. Six facilitating factors and nine barrier factors were identified, with the main themes including: cultural factors are the main barrier to the implementation of sexual counseling; sexual counseling methods, patients' misunderstanding of sexual counseling, and medical staff's lack of sexual counseling knowledge and time are all hindering factors; patients' willingness to acquire sexual knowledge and medical staff's positive attitude under evidence-based guidance are facilitating factors. Conclusion: The factors affecting the implementation of sexual counseling were identified, and the main barriers affecting the implementation of sexual counseling are obtained. This provides the basis for developing interventions to promote sexual counseling implementation in the future.