Exploring the lived experiences of deep vein thrombosis patients in Lahore, Pakistan: a qualitative phenomenological study on healthcare challenges, resilience and social support.

Objective: This study aimed to explore and describe the lived psychological and emotional experiences of sufferers of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and to narrate the effect of those experiences on their daily lives.

Design, setting and participants: For data collection, a phenomenological qualitative design was used using semistructured, in-depth interviews of patients with DVT aged 18-70 years. Data were transcribed and analysed using the interpretative inductive approach to identify emergent themes.

Results: The five major themes emerged were as follows: (1) experiences and challenges of managing pain and physical limitations in patients; (2) the high out-of-pocket cost of care as a financial challenge to access healthcare; (3) the struggle of patients with social isolation and lack of emotional support; (4) resilience and self-reliance in the face of illness for navigation through life and (5) inadequate healthcare system and challenges in accessing proper treatment.

Conclusions: Conclusively, chronic disease such as, DVT, negatively impacts the life of its sufferers in terms of their physical health, lifestyle and psychological behaviour. There is a high need to introduce rehabilitative services as a regular part of healthcare system, so that self-management strategies are promoted and the burden of long-term psychological, emotional and behaviour problems can be avoided.