Scholarlink

Purpose <p>This study aimed to explore the experiences of dysphagia and rehabilitation care needs of head and neck cancer patients across the pre-, intra-, and post-radiotherapy phases. The findings provide essential evidence for developing individualized rehabilitation care protocols for dysphagia.</p> Methods <p>A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at the Radiation Oncology Department of a cancer hospital in China from December 2024 to March 2025. Purposive sampling was used to select head and neck cancer patients at different radiotherapy phases. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to capture their experiences of dysphagia and rehabilitation care needs. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed qualitatively using a content analysis approach.</p> Results <p>Four key themes of patients’ experiences of dysphagia and rehabilitation care needs were identified: (1) emotional experiences across peri-radiotherapy phases, (2) dynamic swallowing perceptions across peri-radiotherapy phases, (3) radiotherapy phase–specific critical distress points, and (4) evolving rehabilitation care needs in dysphagia management.</p> Conclusion <p>Situated within the Chinese context, this study explores dysphagia experiences and rehabilitation care needs of head and neck cancer patients across the pre-, intra-, and post-radiotherapy phases. The findings reveal that these experiences and needs are diverse and differentiated. Healthcare providers should develop stage-specific rehabilitation care protocols for dysphagia that are tailored to the experiences and needs of head and neck cancer patients at different phases of radiotherapy.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Patients’ experiences of dysphagia and rehabilitation care needs across the pre-, intra-, and post-radiotherapy phases for head and neck cancer: a qualitative study

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月21日

查看全文
  • Tingting Yang,
  • Biling Su,
  • Jing Zheng,
  • Xiumei Chen,
  • Xiaomin Chen,
  • Zhijiang Li,
  • Hua Ye,
  • Jie Jia

摘要

Purpose

This study aimed to explore the experiences of dysphagia and rehabilitation care needs of head and neck cancer patients across the pre-, intra-, and post-radiotherapy phases. The findings provide essential evidence for developing individualized rehabilitation care protocols for dysphagia.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at the Radiation Oncology Department of a cancer hospital in China from December 2024 to March 2025. Purposive sampling was used to select head and neck cancer patients at different radiotherapy phases. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to capture their experiences of dysphagia and rehabilitation care needs. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed qualitatively using a content analysis approach.

Results

Four key themes of patients’ experiences of dysphagia and rehabilitation care needs were identified: (1) emotional experiences across peri-radiotherapy phases, (2) dynamic swallowing perceptions across peri-radiotherapy phases, (3) radiotherapy phase–specific critical distress points, and (4) evolving rehabilitation care needs in dysphagia management.

Conclusion

Situated within the Chinese context, this study explores dysphagia experiences and rehabilitation care needs of head and neck cancer patients across the pre-, intra-, and post-radiotherapy phases. The findings reveal that these experiences and needs are diverse and differentiated. Healthcare providers should develop stage-specific rehabilitation care protocols for dysphagia that are tailored to the experiences and needs of head and neck cancer patients at different phases of radiotherapy.