Patient journeys mapping in health management for older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a...

Management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in older adults remains suboptimal, often due to a fragmented, acute-care-focused approach that fails to address the comprehensive needs of patients across the care continuum. A thorough understanding of the patient journey is essential to identify systemic gaps and potential intervention points.

This study aims to systematically map the complete cycle of the COPD patient journey in older adults, elucidating their multidimensional needs, challenges, and critical touchpoints throughout the stages of screening, diagnosis, inpatient care, and home-based rehabilitation.

A qualitative descriptive study employing patient journey mapping.

A qualitative approach was used, involving in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of older COPD patients. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was achieved. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis technique. Patient journey mapping synthesized individual narratives into a consolidated visual representation, identifying key stages, touchpoints, and barriers within the patient experience.

Analysis revealed themes organized across three dimensions: health management tasks, emotional experiences, and pain points. Key findings included challenges in early symptom recognition and diagnosis, ongoing burdens associated with symptom management, barriers to engaging in pulmonary rehabilitation, inadequate social and professional support, nutritional knowledge gaps, and pervasive concerns regarding physical activity. These themes contributed to a comprehensive patient journey map that highlighted the dynamic and interdependent needs throughout the various phases of COPD management.

Patient journey mapping illustrates that the COPD care pathway constitutes a prolonged process, marked by critical vulnerabilities during diagnosis and care transitions. These findings highlight the necessity of transitioning from episodic care to continuous support frameworks that integrate digital health solutions, self-management education, and community-based services.

This study offers empirical evidence to inform the development of targeted interventions and optimize resource allocation, ultimately aiming to improve self-management outcomes, reduce complications, and enhance the quality of life for older adults with COPD.

This study adhered to the COREQ (Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research) guidelines to ensure methodological transparency and reproducibility.