Self-management challenges and support needs among patients with primary glaucoma: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background Self-management plays an important role in the disease management of glaucoma patients. Evidence suggests that tailoring self-management support to patients' individual needs may enhance program effectiveness. However, most research on self-management support has focused solely on the performance of self-management tasks or the efficacy of support programs, neglecting the crucial aspect of addressing patients' unique needs for self-management. Therefore, in this study, we conducted an in-depth investigation into the self-management challenges and support needs of patients with primary glaucoma, providing a basis for nursing staff to implement self-management support. Method The phenomenological method and semistructured interviews were used in this study. A total of 20 patients with primary glaucoma were recruited between June and December 2022. Colaizzi’s analysis method was used to analyse the interview data. Results Challenges for patients include becoming an expert in glaucoma, managing negative emotions, adapting to daily life changes and resuming social activities. To address these challenges, four themes of patient self-management support needs were identified:(1)health information support,༈2༉social support,༈3༉psychological support, and༈4༉daily living support. Conclusion Patients with primary glaucoma experience varying degrees of challenge in dealing with medical, emotional, and social aspects. Comprehending the support needs of patients, healthcare professionals should deliver targeted, personalized and comprehensive self-management interventions to enhance their capacity of patients to perform self-management and improve their quality of life.