Experiences of Disease Adaptation in Patients With Heart Failure: A Qualitative Study

This study aimed to explore the experiences of adaptation in heart failure (HF) patients according to the Roy adaptation model. A qualitative study was conducted between December 2020 and March 2021 in China. A total of 21 patients with HF were recruited at of two general hospitals. Semi structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with each participant. NVivo 11 was used to encode the transcription and thematic analysis was preformed to analyze the transcripts. Eleven minor themes emerged from the data, namely unbalanced nutrition, inappropriate activities, unrestricted liquid intake, excessive sodium intake, worrying about the future, negative emotions, poor spiritual aspect, unable to fulfill social roles, forced to stop work, interpersonal alienation, and less communication with friends or family. Most participants with HF experienced poor disease adaptation. The themes that emerged offer a new perspective on the experiences of disease adaptation in patients with HF.