Psychological Experience of the First Pulmonary Function Test in Elderly Patients with Poor Cooperation: A Qualitative Study

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to understand the real psychological experience of the first pulmonary function test (PFT) of elderly patients with poor cooperation, provide a reference for reporting their psychological characteristics and needs, and offer suggestions for developing appropriate guidance strategies to improve cooperation and compliance of patients. Methods: We used a phenomenological approach. We selected 21 elderly patients with poor cooperation who underwent PFT in a Tertiary Grade A comprehensive hospital in Nanning from December 2021 to June 2022 for a semi-structured interview using an objective sampling method. We used the Colaizzi analysis method to collate and analyze the data. Results: We extracted 6 distinct psychological experiences of elderly patients with poor cooperation in the first PFT, including distrust, tension and worry, the desire to understand PFT-related information, high psychological sensitivity, frustration and positive self-adjustment, and negative self-perception of aging. According to participants′ own explanation, most of the psychological experience was mainly related to the lack of understanding of PFT related knowledge, which was greatly affected by the way of information acquisition and the allocation of PFT resources. In addition, elderly patients also revealed that unfamiliarity with their own disease history and physical status affected their psychological enthusiasm during the examination. Conclusions: Elderly patients who failed to cooperate during the first PFT have complex psychological states and a wide range of psychological needs. In clinical practice, medical staff should focus on patients, thoroughly investigate the psychological experiences of elderly patients undergoing PFT and implement corresponding measures to encourage elderly patients′ cooperation and improve examination compliance.