Qualitative study uncovers distinct emotional crises and unmet guidance needs among caregivers of children with adenoid hypertrophy, highlighting gaps in post-discharge and conservative care.
Objective: To systematically map the patient journey and identify unmet needs in children with adenoid hypertrophy and their caregivers. Methods: A qualitative study using in-depth interviews with 25 caregivers of children aged 3– 9 years was conducted. Adenoid hypertrophy was confirmed by nasoendoscopy (≥ 70% obstruction) and/or polysomnography (OAHI > 1 event/hour). Data were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis to construct a comprehensive journey map. The emotional curve was derived qualitatively from caregiver narratives as a heuristic visualization of emotional trajectories across care stages, not as a quantitative measure. Results: Analysis revealed two distinct emotional trajectories: surgical path caregivers experienced a post-discharge crisis due to support vacuum, while conservative path caregivers endured persistent anxiety from efficacy uncertainty. We identified both pathway-specific needs (post-discharge support, efficacy feedback) and cross-cutting needs (proactive information, holistic habit guidance). Conclusion: This journey mapping provides an evidence-based framework for developing targeted interventions to inform caregiver education, discharge planning, follow-up strategies, and multidisciplinary care pathways, addressing critical system failures and enhancing patient-centered care in pediatric adenoid hypertrophy.
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Xu et al. (2026) studied this question.
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