Constructing dyadic management behavioral personas for patient-caregiver dyads in ambulatory chemotherapy: A...

This study aimed to develop patient-caregiver dyadic personas in ambulatory chemotherapy settings. These personas will enable clinicians to rapidly identify behavioral heterogeneity in dyadic illness management behaviors and deliver targeted support and guidance.

An interpretive phenomenological study was conducted at a tertiary cancer hospital in mainland China from March to June 2025. Patient-caregiver dyads participating in ambulatory chemotherapy were recruited through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews explored their dyadic illness management experiences, adhering to the inductive principles of phenomenological inquiry. The data were first analyzed to identify emergent themes and patterns from the participants' lived experiences. Subsequently, the COM-B framework was employed as a heuristic lens to systematically interpret and characterize the underlying behavioral mechanisms of the identified patterns, leading to the development of dyadic personas.

Twenty-five eligible patient-caregiver dyads were included. Using the COM-B framework, five distinct personas were identified: Full-Collaboration Dyads, Patient-Led Dyads, Caregiver-Led Dyads, Phase-Responsibility Dyads, and Guidance-Dependent Dyads, reflecting heterogeneous dyadic illness management behaviors and needs in ambulatory chemotherapy.

Understanding management heterogeneity through dyadic personas is valuable for optimizing ambulatory chemotherapy care. This study established five behavioral personas specific to patient-caregiver dyads, offering a structured approach to develop individualized interventions that address diverse needs across the treatment continuum.