An inductive content analysis of the multifaceted nature of educational support among Iranian patients with chronic diseases

Nurses should teach patients with chronic diseases how to manage their disease. While providing patient education is consistently considered a vital nursing intervention for patients with chronic diseases, what chronic patients expect from educational support is unclear. This study aimed to define educational support and identify its key elements as perceived by chronic Iranian patients and nurses’ perspectives. The participants with at least one chronic disease were selected through purposive sampling at the community level, focusing on health centers and clinics. The study was conducted in Yazd city, Iran, between October 2023 and August 2024. Eighteen participants were included. Semistructured interviews were conducted. A conventional inductive content analysis approach was used to analyze the data. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) the need for self-management, encompassing coping strategies and self-care behaviors; (2) the need for others, including the desire for family companionship, maintaining independence, and addressing feelings of helplessness; and (3) the need for education, encompassing knowledge acquisition, information seeking, and challenges related to medication adherence. The findings suggest that chronic patients’ educational support is a person-centered and multifaceted educational process that supports patients in meeting their needs. Nurses can play an important role in facilitating this process due to their extensive interaction with chronic patients.