Challenges in the home-based symptom management journey of patients with heart failure: A qualitative mapping study

AIM: To explore the complex journey map of home-based symptom management in patients with heart failure (HF) and identify key challenges faced by patients and family caregivers. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at four tertiary general hospitals in mainland China from September 2024 to March 2025. Fourteen patients with HF and their caregivers were purposively selected for the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to capture the experience of home-based symptom management. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed. The patient journey map methodology was used to represent the journey of home-based symptom management. RESULTS: The participants contributed to the development of the journey map by identifying two distinct phases: the stable phase and the exacerbation phase. Each phase was characterized by unique symptom experiences, emotional responses, touchpoints, behaviors, and concerns. Additionally, four key challenges emerged across both phases: enhancing disease preparedness, bridging the gap in patient-executed strategies, improving digital health literacy, and empowering caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: The patient journey map developed in this study serves as a tool for understanding the complexity of home-based symptom management in patients with HF. Furthermore, the identification of four key challenges offers opportunities to improve the quality of symptom management for these patients.