Objective: This study aimed to explore the multidimensional needs of patients and their caregivers during home-based nutritional management after esophageal cancer surgery, and to provide evidence for developing targeted nursing interventions using patient journey mapping. Methods: We used a descriptive qualitative design. From December 2025 to January 2026, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 patients who had undergone esophageal cancer surgery and 9 caregivers at a tertiary general hospital in Chongqing, China. We analyzed the data using traditional content analysis and constructed a patient journey map. Results: The patient journey map, structured across four stages and three analytical dimensions, identified 31 sub-themes across these stages. From participants’ retrospective accounts, three core barriers were identified in this study: cognitive-behavioral barriers, cultural-cognitive dissonance, and fragmented post-discharge support systems. Moreover, these difficulties were interrelated and associated with eroded confidence in nutritional management, persistent worry about recurrence, and a sense of helplessness. This predicament persisted throughout the rehabilitation period, suggesting a structural gap within the current healthcare system: a mismatch between patients’ ongoing need for nutritional guidance and the limited professional support available. Conclusion: Given the prolonged and complex nature of home-based nutritional management after esophagectomy, and to address patients’ need for sustained professional guidance, this study outlines a theoretical intervention framework that integrates three strategies—phase-specific education, culturally tailored dietary support, and a continuous care loop linking hospital and home—drawing on the advantages of digital health technologies. The feasibility and implementation pathways of this framework warrant further exploration.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Zhang et al. (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: