A qualitative participatory study to identify experiences of coronary heart disease patients to support the development of online self-management services

How patients experience their disease varies between stable and post-acute stages, as well as between early and progressive stages of CHD. Patients in post-acute stages of the disease seem to be most amenable to support, while patients in stable stages want to live their life without being reminded of their disease. In the context of self-management, web-based services should be adapted to the variation in needs that occur in the different stages of CHD and new strategies to fit such services to these needs should be developed. Furthermore, they should be tailored to patients' individual health situation and preferences, support patient empowerment, and manage expectations regarding the progression of their disease.