Patients recovering from acute pancreatitis experienced challenging hospital-to-home transitions due to a lack of transition care, resulting in anxiety, insecurity, and disrupted daily routines.
What are patients' experiences of recovery from acute pancreatitis during the transition from hospital to home?
Patients recovering from acute pancreatitis experience significant physical, mental, and social challenges during the transition from hospital to home, exacerbated by insufficient information and transition care.
The incidence and readmission rates after acute pancreatitis have increased over the last 20 years. During the time of illness and recovery, patients can experience physical and mental suffering. Despite many studies investigating acute pancreatitis, there is a gap regarding patients’ experiences after discharge. This study aimed to explore patients’ experiences of recovery from acute pancreatitis during the transition from hospital to home. A qualitative approach was adopted in a Danish surgical gastrointestinal department. Data consisted of 9 semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed with inspiration from Kirsti Malterud’s theory of interpretation. Three themes were identified: 1) transition from being healthy to being ill, 2) insecurity due to insufficient information, and 3) returning to habits and routines. Patients experienced the transition from hospital to home challenging due to the lack of transition care during and after discharge from the hospital. Acute pancreatitis influenced all spheres of patients’ lives after discharge, from social life to physical activity, as well as the appearance of anxiety and insecurity.
Gunic et al. (2026) studied this question. Patients recovering from acute pancreatitis experienced challenging hospital-to-home transitions due to a lack of transition care, resulting in anxiety, insecurity, and disrupted daily routines.