Affiliation:
1. Research Department for Hospital Management and Health Policy in Respiratory Diseases, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2. Mycobacteriology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3. Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impact on the lives of people around the world. This study aimed to investigate the lived experiences of COVID-19 patients during their illness, including hospitalization, referrals to treatment centers, and their physical and mental experiences, at the Masih Daneshvari Educational and Research Center in Tehran.
METHODS:
This was a phenomenological study using a conventional content analysis approach. Data collection and analysis were conducted based on the steps proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. The study population consisted of 52 COVID-19 patients (28 females and 24 males) hospitalized at Masih Daneshvari Hospital. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached.
RESULTS:
A total of 957 primary codes were extracted from the data, which were subsequently reduced to 52 codes after reviewing and consolidating similar codes. The findings revealed that the challenges faced by COVID-19 patients could be categorized into 5 main themes and 15 subcategories: Patients’ perceptions of how they were infected (disease characteristics, cultural-religious issues, and vulnerable patients), communication with treatment staff (satisfaction, respect, and empathy), physical and mental health (psychological effects, symptom exacerbation, and disease complications), ambiguity experiences (training, awareness, risk perception, and multiple treatments), and emotional experiences from hospitalization (social stigma, fear of death, and disease suffering).
CONCLUSION:
This study provides valuable insights into the challenges faced by COVID-19 patients, which can inform future policymaking and planning for managing epidemics and similar public health crises.