Patients' experiences and unmet needs in atrial fibrillation: implications for person-centred care

This study was conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Human and Social Sciences Ethics Committee of the University of Minho (CEICSH 070/2022), and the Ethics Committee of Centro Hospitalar e Universitário do Porto [2022.072 (057-DEFI/058-CE)].
Background: Atrial fibrillation is a common cardiac arrhythmia that significantly impacts patients' daily lives. While clinical management is well established, and despite growing interest in patient-centred care, the perception and emotional response of patients with AF remain less explored. Objective: This study aimed to explore the experiences and perceived needs of patients with atrial fibrillation. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was employed. Twenty adult patients diagnosed with AF and no cognitive impair ment were recruited from a public hospital in northern Portugal. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic content analysis supported by NVivo software. Themes were developed induc tively and refined through iterative coding and discussion. Results: Five main themes were identified: (1) Dealing with a New Normal; (2) Embracing the Illness Journey; (3) Walking the Illness Journey; (4) Unmet Healthcare Needs, and (5) Improving Supportive Services. Conclusion: Patients with atrial fibrillation face challenges that extend beyond symptom management. Findings underscore the importance of integrated, theory-informed, patient-centred approaches to support individuals living with atrial fibrillation across diverse contexts.
This study was conducted at the Psychology Research Centre (PSI/01662), School of Psychology, University of Minho, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the Portuguese Research Funds (Ref.: UIDB/PSI/01662/2020). The first author (Ana Mónica Machado) was funded by national funds through FCT (grant reference: 2023.05576.BD), as part of the project with the DOI identifier https://doi.org/10.54499/2023.05576.BD.