Tailored personas for disease management in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema: A qualitative study

Objective This study aimed to explore heterogeneity in disease management among patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) and to develop tailored patient personas to inform precision nursing interventions that improve self-management engagement and long-term outcomes. Methods A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at a lymphedema clinic in a tertiary hospital in China (March to June 2025). Purposive maximum-variation sampling was used to recruit women with unilateral BCRL who had engaged in home-based self-management for at least three months following professional instruction. Data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed using conventional content analysis to identify core dimensions (knowledge, health beliefs, self-efficacy, and support needs). Personas were constructed by categorizing participants according to these dimensions and refined through expert review. Results A total of 34 women with unilateral BCRL participated in the study. Several key dimensions (such as disease knowledge, management behaviors, motivation, decision-making, and support needs) were identified. Based on these dimensions, five distinct personas were developed: uninformed or misguided disease managers, active and empowered disease managers, lazy or unmotivated disease managers, ambivalent or hesitant decision managers, and symptom-driven disease managers. These personas reflected substantial heterogeneity in self-management engagement, barriers, and support needs despite similar clinical backgrounds. Conclusions This study identified five patient personas that capture diverse disease management patterns in BCRL. The findings provide a practical framework for developing targeted, persona-based nursing interventions. Aligning care strategies with patient personas may enhance engagement, adherence, and long-term outcomes, supporting the implementation of precision nursing in BCRL management.