Objective: To investigate the needs of patients with SLE in terms of discharge planning, to outline the practical perspectives of clinical healthcare professionals regarding the enablers and impediments to SLE patients' discharge planning, and to establish a basis for the creation of SLE discharge plans for subsequently diagnosed patients.
Methods: Descriptive qualitative research methodology was used in this study, with the researcher herself as the research instrument. Healthcare professionals formally employed in the rheumatology and immunology department, as well as SLE patients admitted to a tertiary-level hospital in Anhui Province between August and December 2023, were chosen for the study using a purposeful sample technique. In-person, semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out, and used thematic analysis to analyze the interview data and distil themes.
Result: A total of 17 patients and 13 healthcare professionals were interviewed. Five themes and sixteen sub-themes in all were extracted: ①the needs of SLE patients for discharge planning; ②the present state of discharge planning implementation; ③factors conducive to the implementation of discharge planning; ④factors hindering the implementation of discharge planning; ⑤recommendations for implementing of discharge planning.
Conclusion: Planning for the discharge of SLE patients is essential, and in order to support patients' successful discharge, management should strengthen training, thoroughly evaluate the needs of SLE patients, and create customized discharge plans.
Keywords: Systematic lupus erythematosus; discharge planning; factors; need; qualitative study.