[Experiences of Patients with Invasive and Non-Invasive Home Mechanical Ventilation - a Systematic Review of Qualitative Research].

AIM OF THE STUDY:  Human beings can be ventilated outside of a hospital after a lung failure or due to a neurodegenerative disease. This can be done in different living conditions. This article examines the question of what experiences such patients have made with invasive home mechanical ventilation, and how they have adapted their new lives.

METHODOLOGY:  On the basis of a systematic literature research, qualitative studies were analyzed that depict the social reality of patients with invasive and non-invasive home mechanical ventilation.

RESULTS:  Eleven international studies with a qualitative research design could be identified. Studies that investigate the experiences of patients with invasive ventilation in Germany have not yet been published. The analysis led to the following topics: experiencing the start of ventilation, living with ventilation, safety, family life, stigmatization and a life with dependence, but self-determined.

CONCLUSION:  Human beings who need to be out of hospital an invasive or non-invasive ventilation, it is difficult to decide for the ventilation and the right time to begin it. With the ventilation, they then connect a positive feeling of life. To enable a self-determined and active life to humans with invasive ventilation, it is important for health care providers to know the needs and to adapt to them individually.