Self-Management Experience of Chinese Patients With Nonmuscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer During Intravesical Therapy: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND

Intravesical therapy is the primary treatment for nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and can lead to many physical and psychosocial challenges. However, relatively little is known about their self-management (SM) experience during this phase.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the SM experiences of Chinese patients with NMIBC undergoing intravesical therapy.

METHODS

A purposive sampling method was used to recruit 12 patients with NMIBC who were undergoing intravesical treatment in a tertiary hospital in Tianjin, China. The data were collected through semistructured interviews. The collected data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Four categories that reflected the SM experience of Chinese patients with NMIBC during intravesical therapy were identified based on the interview: (1) health maintenance, (2) emotional regulation, (3) coping with healthcare services, and (4) adapting to a new life.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicated that Chinese patients with NMIBC encountered diverse and context-specific SM experiences throughout the course of intravesical therapy and identified 2 novel contributions: digital barriers to accessing healthcare and cultural silence around sexuality. These provide a reference for healthcare providers to better support patients with NMIBC and inspire future research to develop patient-centered interventions.

IMPLICATIONS FOR ONCOLOGY NURSING PRACTICE: Healthcare providers play a critical role in addressing the complex SM challenges of patients with NMIBC undergoing intravesical therapy. Future SM intervention should focus on providing culturally sensitive care, age-friendly digital support, reliable health information, and tailored patient education to improve SM and outcomes of patients with NMIBC.