Exploring Providers Experience on the Current Practices in the Provision of Palliative Care Among Colorectal Cancer Patients in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. September, 2022

Abstract

Background Palliative care is an upfront requirement for the quality life of patients and families, particularly those who are at life-threatening illnesses like colorectal cancer disease. Palliative care requires a collective support of nurses, doctors, social workers, spiritual leaders, families and the community at large. A good palliative care improves quality of patient and family life whereas inadequate can hasten death to patients and lead to psychological effect to family members. Despite involving health care and non-health care personnel, little is done or implemented to improve palliative care, while there are an increase number of new colorectal cancer cases globally particularly in Tanzania, so palliative care is highly demanded due to inadequate treatment of colorectal cancer disease. Broad objective: This study aimed to explore the providers experience on the current practices in the provision of palliative care among Colorectal Cancer patients in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. Methods: The study used phenomenological type in which data was collected by one qualitative data source, in-depth interviews (IDIs) with health care providers, whereby phenomenological type of qualitative study were used during data collection from participants’ so as to describe and understand in depth the experiences of the participants. The study population was all health care providers including nurses, doctors and paramedics who serve the colorectal cancer patients and families. Data recorded from the interviews was transcribed in verbatim after data collection. The researcher analyzed the data (English version transcripts) using a computerized qualitative software NVivo 1.0 and conducted deductive method of content analysis based on determined categories of data that emerged from the results. Result: Two themes broadly classified as variation of palliative care service provision and Factors affecting palliative care among colorectal cancer patients, emerged from the study. Among the variation of palliative care service provision included: Hygiene and care were maintained, Psycho-socio support varies and Variation of medical treatment. And the factors affecting palliative care among colorectal cancer patients included: Availability of medical supplies was poor, inadequate palliative care training and facilities for care and unavailability of SOPs and guidelines. The study provided evidence of the variation of provision of care and factors affecting palliative care that care providers experiences while implementing Palliative Care. Conclusion and recommendation: Care providers who practice palliative care for colorectal cancer patients are so much needed in the practice of care to ensure quality care is given. These results demonstrate the need for the government to design and customized training for in-service providers and unveil SOP and palliative care guideline in health care setting. More research are recommended in the area of supporting such teams that often operate without the full range of tools necessary to meet all of their patients’ needs, and ensure palliative care policy is incorporated in health college curricula and all level of hospital setting .