Analysing the patient experience of COVID-19: Exploring patients' experiences of hospitalisation and their quality of life post discharge

Aims and ObjectivesWe sought to gain an understanding of the patient experience during their hospital stay for COVID-19, and the impact of COVID-19 on quality of life post discharge.BackgroundSymptoms of COVID-19 include a persistent cough, dyspnoea and fatigue. Individuals with comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and approximately 20% of those diagnosed with COVID-19 are admitted to hospital. Following discharge from hospital, 40% of patients report a worsened quality of life and up to 87% of those discharged from hospital have experienced 'long COVID'.DesignA qualitative design was used to understand patient experience of hospitalisation following a diagnosis of COVID-19, and their experiences following discharge from hospital.MethodsTen patients with a previous diagnosis of COVID-19 took part in semi-structured interviews regarding their experiences of hospitalisation and the impact on quality of life post-discharge.ResultsThe results identified three key themes from the interviews: communication and the inpatient experience, symptoms following discharge and regaining independence. Patients discussed their experience of hospitalisation and how this continued to impact their emotional well-being post-discharge. However, patients appeared to push themselves physically to improve their health, despite continued COVID-19 symptoms.ConclusionPatients hospitalised following a diagnosis of COVID-19 experienced psychological distress during their hospital stay, as well as 3-months post-discharge. We suggest the use of psychosocial interventions to support patients post-discharge.Relevance to Clinical PracticeThe results of this study provide a greater understanding of the patient experience during their hospital stay, which can support nursing staff practice. Additionally, the study provides in depth knowledge of personal experiences of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and the impact following hospital discharge.Patient or Public ContributionPatient's took part in semi-structured interviews via telephone to support the aims and objectives of this study.