Abstract:

Objective

This study aimed to describe the disease experience and needs of patients with cancer-associated thromboembolism （CAT）， in order to provide a basis for the development of effective intervention programs.

Methods

A descriptive qualitative design was used， a purposive sample of 12 patients with CAT in a top 3 hospital in Nantong were selected for semi-structured in-depth interviews from January to June 2023， content analysis was adopted to analyze the data.

Results

The experiences and needs of CAT patients can be summarized into four themes： heavy burden of disease symptoms （many symptomatic disturbances， predominantly negative emotions）； individual differences in disease coping strategies （conflict in treatment decision-making、acceptance and debugging， passive avoidance）； deficiencies in disease self-management （insufficient knowledge of the disease、weak sense of self-advocacy， barriers to communication）； longing for support （needs for information support for the disease， needs to resolve doctor-patient communication barriers， needs to strengthen psychological assistance、needs for community medical and health services）.

Conclusion

This study found that CAT patients face many problems such as high symptom burden and psychological barriers in the process of coping with illness， and their needs cannot be met in time.Healthcare professionals should pay close attention to the characteristics and needs of these patients in coping with illness， and provide targeted intervention and improvement strategies to improve their ability to cope with illness and their quality of life.

Key words: Patients With Cancer-associated Thromboembolism, Experience, Needs, Qualitative Research, Content Analysis, Oncology Nursing