Key result
Early convalescence from a first heart attack for Chinese couples involves enduring uncertainty, coping with changes, emotional reactions, living with medications, and needing professional help.
Chinese patients and their partners experience enduring uncertainty, emotional reactions, and a need for professional help during early convalescence from a first heart attack, highlighting the need for culturally sensitive support.
May inform culturally sensitive support for Chinese post-MI couples; hypothesis-generating for targeted interventions.
AIM: This paper is a report of a study to explore Chinese patients' and partners' experiences during early convalescence from a first heart attack. BACKGROUND: There are important socio-cultural differences between Chinese and western populations and comparatively little is known about the experiences of Chinese patients and partners living with a first heart attack. METHOD: A qualitative study using focus groups was conducted in 2005 with 17 Chinese patients and their partners during convalescence from a first heart attack. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed. Analysis was used to identify categories using established qualitative phenomenological techniques. FINDINGS: Content analysis of the data revealed five major categories: enduring uncertainty; coping with changes; experiencing emotional reactions; living with medications and needing professional help. CONCLUSION: The experiences of Chinese patients and partners during early convalescence from a first heart attack are different from their western counterparts and are affected by cultural traditions. Findings from this study may provide useful pointers for health professionals to deliver culturally sensitive and appropriate support and education during early convalescence.
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Wang et al. (2008) studied first heart attack (n=17). Early convalescence from a first heart attack was evaluated on Patient and partner experiences during early convalescence. Early convalescence from a first heart attack for Chinese couples involves enduring uncertainty, coping with changes, emotional reactions, living with medications, and needing professional help.
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