Background: As pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) are debilitating and fatal diseases it is essential to increase the understanding of patients' experience of support. The aim was to describe patients' experiences of support while living with PAH or CTEPH.
Methods: Seventeen patients (13 women and four men) aged 28-73 years were strategically selected from a regional PAH centre and individually interviewed. The answers were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
Results: Three categories that describe patients' experiences of support emerged: Support linked to the healthcare; support linked to the private sphere; and support linked to persons outside the private sphere.
Conclusion: Healthcare practitioners must work more in collaboration to detect patients' need for support and to develop the patient's own skills to manage daily life. The PAH teams should tailor interventions to provide emotional, informational and instrumental support and guidance to patients and their families.
Keywords: Chronic disease; Peer support; Relationship; Social support; Supportive care.
Copyright © 2015 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.