title: Relative's experiences before and after a heart or lung transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Relatives take on great responsibilities during patients' heart or lung transplant process and an understanding for their situation is required.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe relative's experiences before and during the patient's hospital stay as well as during the first 6 months after a heart or lung transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using qualitative content analysis, 15 relatives (eight women and seven men) aged 36-65 years were interviewed within 6 months of a heart or lung transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three categories that illuminate relatives' experiences have been identified: "Navigate specific circumstances," "Facilitate throughout the transplantation journey" and "Experiences of strength and weakness of information and support." The relatives reported involvement in the transplantation decision, peer support, information seeking, burden and coping.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater awareness about relatives' experiences with identification of appropriate support and information exchange between health care professionals and relatives is important. This awareness could provide benefits for heart or lung transplant patients, families and health care organizations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: bodil.ivarsson@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Bodil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ivarsson
authors.affiliation: Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ekmehag
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Trygve
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sjöberg
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012944:Social Support
keywords: Caregiver; Communication; Family; Social support; Spouses