Illness trajectory of initial infection for patients with hepatitis C: A qualitative study

Little is known about how the initial infection and diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) impacts a patient's experience of living with and adjusting to the disease. In the present qualitative, descriptive study, we explored the initial experiences of patients in Taiwan diagnosed with HCV. Eighteen participants were recruited from hepatology clinics of a teaching hospital in Taichung, Taiwan by purposive sampling. Data were collected via in-depth face-to-face interviews and analyzed by conventional content analysis. The core theme describing the illness trajectory was "Oasis in the desert". Two main themes described the participants' experiences and adjustment to the diagnosis of hepatitis C: "Getting lost in the journey" and "The calm after the storm". Our findings highlight the need for health-care providers to coordinate interactions between patients and multi-disciplinary teams to manage the integration of different treatment options. There is a demand for educational interventions and online information for patients and the general population, which could improve knowledge of HCV.