Congenital heart disease, or CHD, is a problem with the structure of the heart that is a prevalent congenital disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022a), babies with this condition now live longer and are healthier due to the advancement in medical care and treatment. However, families with children that have CHD face difficulties in caring for their kids, which might have an impact on everyone involved. It is essential to understand how such families deal with problems related to caregiving so that they can be helped in the delivery of enhanced and high-quality children care. Dalir et al. (2021) conducted a study, the objective of which was to examine the strategies that families use to provide caregiving for their kids with CHD.
This qualitative study involved families with CHD children who were hospitalized in Mashhad, Iran. Dalir et al. (2021) selected their participants with the use of a purposive sampling method. In-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 participants from November 2017 to December 2018, and data were collected from them. Data analysis was performed using conventional content analysis, and MAXQDA software helped control the coding process. In line with the findings, the central theme was the focus on care management, and it included four categories of a ‘child’s health monitoring’, ‘family life management’, ‘family life optimization’, and ‘interaction establishment’. The results of this study can help healthcare workers to design family-centered programs to empower families to manage caregiving for children with CHD.
Heart disease, being the leading cause of death among Americans, is a major National Practice Problem. Therefore, it is essential to know what to do to lower the risks of getting the condition and how to care for those who have it (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022b). Qualitative research findings contribute to the body of information regarding this topic and help professionals find solutions that alleviate people’s pain and save their lives.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022a). Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs). Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022b). Heart disease. Web.
Dalir, Z., Manzari, Z. S., Kareshki, H., & Heydari, A. (2021). Caregiving strategies in families of children with congenital heart disease: A qualitative study. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 26(1), 60-67. Web.