Exploring Uncertainty About Future and Inescapability of Disease and Death in Pakistani Cardiac Patients

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to explore uncertainty about the future and the inescapability of disease and death in Pakistani cardiac patients. Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological research design was employed. Data were collected from Out-Patient Departments of Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH), Bahawalpur, and Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), Lahore. A purposive sample of twenty (n=20) cardiac patients participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Results: Five major themes emerged from the data: daily hassles, constant state of comparison, mental health indicators, uncertainty about the future, and perceptions of death. Conclusion: Participants expressed significant uncertainty about their future, primarily influenced by financial instability, inflation, concerns about survival, and evolving perceptions of death.