Objective:To identify the multidimensional health management needs of young and middle-aged women with breast cancer based on a patient journey map, with the aim of improving prognosis and quality of life in this population.Methods:A descriptive qualitative research approach was employed. From November 2024 to February 2025, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 young and middle-aged female patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis, and a patient journey map was developed.Results:Along the treatment timeline, patients' health management needs were categorized and refined from three dimensions—tasks, pain points, and emotions—into key themes: limited disease awareness, need for early detection and treatment, decision on the treatment plane, lack of nutritional support, impairment of intimate relationships and impact on fertility, body image and self-identity, and coping with changes in social relationships. These findings were integrated into a visualized patient journey map.Conclusions:The health management journey of young and middle-aged women with breast cancer is long and deeply personal, characterized by complex and diverse needs. The patient journey map systematically illustrates patients' dynamic experiences, perceptions, and behaviors as they interact with multiple events, changing environments, and varied healthcare services. It also reveals the internal drivers behind decision-making processes, uncovering unmet needs that may not be readily apparent. This process enables healthcare professionals to adopt a patient-centered approach to innovatively optimize interventions, thereby improving the precision and appropriateness of healthcare services.

Objective:To identify the multidimensional health management needs of young and middle-aged women with breast cancer based on a patient journey map, with the aim of improving prognosis and quality of life in this population.Methods:A descriptive qualitative research approach was employed. From November 2024 to February 2025, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 young and middle-aged female patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis, and a patient journey map was developed.Results:Along the treatment timeline, patients' health management needs were categorized and refined from three dimensions—tasks, pain points, and emotions—into key themes: limited disease awareness, need for early detection and treatment, decision on the treatment plane, lack of nutritional support, impairment of intimate relationships and impact on fertility, body image and self-identity, and coping with changes in social relationships. These findings were integrated into a visualized patient journey map.Conclusions:The health management journey of young and middle-aged women with breast cancer is long and deeply personal, characterized by complex and diverse needs. The patient journey map systematically illustrates patients' dynamic experiences, perceptions, and behaviors as they interact with multiple events, changing environments, and varied healthcare services. It also reveals the internal drivers behind decision-making processes, uncovering unmet needs that may not be readily apparent. This process enables healthcare professionals to adopt a patient-centered approach to innovatively optimize interventions, thereby improving the precision and appropriateness of healthcare services.