Browsing by Author "Mnyenyembe, Ezelia"

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    Exploration of Attitudes and Factors of Health-care Professionals Contributing to Late Referral of Cancer Patients for Palliative Care Services: A Qualitative Cross-sectional Study at Mulanje District Hospital
    (Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, 2022-03-04) Lino, Treza; Mnyenyembe, Ezelia; Chawinga, Judith; Beza, Chawanangwa
    Type of research study: This will be a cross-sectional qualitative study, aiming at exploring attitudes and factors of Medical Doctors, Nurses and Clinical Officers contributing to late referral of cancer patients for palliative care services at Mulanje District Hospital. The Research problem: Cancer patients are usually referred late for palliative care services; and this delays the goal of improving the quality of life of patients from the point of diagnosis. It is important to understand some of the challenges that are responsible for late referral of palliative care patients. This study seeks to generate perspectives from the healthcare providers’ point of view. Findings from the study will be used to propose strategies that could promote early referral of patients in need of palliative care. Objectives: The broad objective of the study is to explore the attitudes of health care workers contributing towards late referral of cancer patients to palliative care services. The specific objectives of the study are: To assess the knowledge of nurses, clinicians and doctors about palliative care services; to assess how cancer patients are referred to palliative care services; to explore the attitudes that delay palliative care referrals and to explore the challenges that delay referral of cancer patients. Methodology: This will be a qualitative cross-sectional study that aims at exploring the attitudes and factors of health care professionals contributing to late referral of cancer patients for palliative care services at Mulanje District Hospital. The study population will be medical doctors, nurses and clinical officers who are providing direct care patients. These will be recruited purposively between 10 and 14 until data saturation is reached. Expected findings and their dissemination Findings of the project will help better understand some of the causes of late referral of cancer patients. Recommendation will therefore focus on strategies to improve referral mechanism. The dissemination of the research findings will include: sharing the results with COMREC, KUHES faculty members; reporting the research findings to COMREC; presentation of results to college of Medicine Research Dissemination Conference (COM- RDC), department of family medicine, Mulanje District Hospital, and international conferences. The results will be published in reputable palliative care online journals.