Kenyan palliative care providers’ and leaders’ perceptions of palliative care research needs and support to facilitate rigorous research

BMC Palliative Care

Research

S. Qanungo¹  N. Gikaara²  R. A. Powell³  E. A. Doherty⁴  E. S. Melikam⁴  K. B. Cartmell⁴  Z. Ali⁵ 

[1] College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA;Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya;Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, England;Ethnicity and Health Unit, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Northwest London, London, England;MWAPO Health Development Group, Nairobi, Kenya;Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA;Kenyan Hospice and Palliative Care Association, Nairobi, Kenya;

关键词: Palliative care;    Hospice;    Research capacity;    Qualitative research;    Focus groups;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12904-023-01199-0

 received in 2022-09-21, accepted in 2023-06-20,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundPalliative care (PC) can reduce symptom distress and improve quality of life for patients and their families experiencing life-threatening illness. While the need for PC in Kenya is high, PC service delivery and research is limited. Qualitative research is needed to explore potential areas for PC research and support needed to enable that research. This insight is critical for informing a national PC research agenda and mobilizing limited resources for conducting rigorous PC research in Kenya.ObjectivesTo explore perceptions of priority areas for PC research and support needed to facilitate rigorous research from the perspective of Kenyan PC providers and leaders.MethodsFocus groups (FGs) were conducted in November and December of 2018 using a semi-structured interview guide. FGs were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach.ResultsThree FGs were conducted (n = 22 participants). Ten themes related to PC research emerged, including research on: 1) beliefs about death, disease, and treatment to inform PC; 2) awareness about PC, 3) integration of PC within the health system; 4) understanding caregiver experiences and needs; 5) community health volunteers (CHVs) and volunteer programs; 6) evaluation of costs and benefits of PC; 7) treatment approaches, including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and advanced diagnostics at end of life; 8) other suggestions for research, 9) populations in need of PC research; and 10) resources for enabling research.ConclusionsKenyan PC providers and leaders identified key areas requiring increased scientific inquiry and critical resources needed to enable this research. These findings can help to focus future PC research in Kenya and encourage funding agencies to prioritize the issues identified.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2023