The Prevalence of Cancer Patients Requiring Palliative Care and Its Associated Factors at St. Paul Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background Cancer has been the leading cause of death worldwide with its various enormous socio-economic impacts. Hence, early palliative care implementation is a potent addition to oncology for the treatment of physical, mental, and psychological pain in cancer patients. Therefore, this article aims to assess the prevalence of patients requiring palliative care and its associated factors among admitted cancer patients. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among cancer patients who were admitted to oncology wards during the data collection period at St. Paul Hospital, Ethiopia. The Palliative Care Indicators Tool in Low-Income Settings (SPICT-LIS) was used to determine the need for palliative care. The collected data was entered into EpiData version 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 for analysis. A multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the predictors of palliative care need. Results A total of 301 cancer patients were included in this study, with a mean age of 42 years (SD=1.38). The prevalence of palliative care needs among the patients in this study was 10.6% (n=32). The study revealed that the need for palliative care increases as the age of the patient increases and suggested that cancer patients who were above 61 years old were two times (AOR=2.39 95% CI=0.34–16.55) more likely to need palliative care than others. Male patients had a significantly higher requirement for palliative care compared to female patients (AOR=5.31, 95% CI=1.68–11.79). Conclusion The manuscript describes the palliative care needs of patients with cancer admitted to St. Paul Hospital in Ethiopia. The study revealed that the health status of a significant number of cancer patients in the hospital was deteriorating. Hence, the hospital administrators and the oncology ward staff are recommended to pay attention to the identified factors.

Perspective Chapter: Palliative Care Experiences in Ethiopia – Call for Comprehensive Care Approach

“…Misconceptions about palliative care as under recognized specialty, lack of trained palliative care providers; late involvement of inpatient palliative care, lack of community hospice services, inadequate palliative care education and training, financial barriers, attitudes and beliefs around PC, and geographical barriers were commonly mentioned [30,31]. Lack of access to basic and specialized palliative care training and education for healthcare workers, limited opioid availability, legal and regulatory restrictions on oral morphine and strong opioids, costs for transportation and healthcare services, turn-over of trained staff, overwhelmed health workers, physical inaccessibility, lack of holistic care model, lack of defined palliative care package, and the absence of established structure and care model for implementing palliative care continuity from facility to, community and home as key hindering provision of comprehensive palliative care service in Ethiopia [27,28,32].…”

Forecasting Head and Neck Cancer Trends in GCC Countries: Implications for Public Health Policy and Strategy

“…11,12 The increasing burden of cancer (including HNCs) is exerting tremendous economic strain, significant psychological distress, and substantial functional impairments on individuals, communities, and healthcare systems. [13][14][15] The incidence and mortality rates of HNCs are not well studied in GCC countries. The results of the few studies published have relied on global trends or covered certain cancer sites or types.…”