“The heart in a bag”: The lived experience of patient-caregiver dyads with left ventricular assist device during cardiac rehabilitation

Frontiers in Psychology

Psychology

Ariela Francesca Pagani¹  Giada Rapelli²  Miriam Parise³  Silvia Donato³  Anna Bertoni³  Emanuele Maria Giusti⁴  Gianluca Castelnuovo⁵  Giada Pietrabissa⁵ 

[1] Department of Humanities, Univerisity of Urbino Carlo BO, Urbino, Italy;Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy;Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy;Psychology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Milan, Lombardy, Italy;Psychology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Milan, Lombardy, Italy;Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan, Italy;

关键词: left ventricular assist device;    heart failure;    caregiver;    dyad;    lived experience;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1116739

 received in 2022-12-05, accepted in 2023-02-17,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

ObjectiveThe Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) has increasingly become a primary therapeutic option for longer-waiting heart transplant lists. Although survival rates are growing, the device requires complex home care. Therefore, the presence of a caregiver trained in the LVAD management is important for the success of the therapy. The LVAD leads both patients and their caregivers to experience new challenges and adapt to new lifestyle changes and limitations – but their subjective beliefs before home management remained little explored.DesignThis study identified, using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach, the main components of the LVAD experience of six patient-caregiver dyads interviewed during cardiac rehabilitation.ResultsWe identified 4 master themes: Being between life and death, Being human with a heart of steel, Sharing is caring (and a burden), and Being small and passive.ConclusionThe knowledge from this study can be used as a guide for healthcare providers in counseling LVAD recipients and their caregivers.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Rapelli, Giusti, Donato, Parise, Pagani, Pietrabissa, Bertoni and Castelnuovo.