Volume 24, Number 7: July 2023
Literature Search is Barry Ashpole's periodic list of mainly full-text articles from medical periodicals, as well as a selection of media reports with a focus on palliative care, particularly for disadvantaged peoples. The issues are housed on the IAHPC website. On My Radar gives a compressed abstract of one or two Literature Search articles of special interest.
Urgent Research Opportunities in Africa; Barriers to Care in Ethiopia
Palliative Nursing in Africa: Scoping the landscape of evidence focusing on cancer care. Maree JE, Bingo SAM, Mgawi O. Florence Nightingale Journal of Nursing 2023; 31(S1): 38-44. DOI: 10.5152/FNJN.2023.23038
This scoping review aimed to describe the research output of African’s nurses in the field of palliative care from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2021. Only studies authored by a nurse with an African affiliation focusing on issues related to advanced cancer were included. The data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and content analyses. Of the 522 articles identified, only 16, from eight African countries, met the inclusion criteria. The work was primarily qualitative and focused on the family and caregivers. Pain was the only symptom investigated.
The conclusion is that studies focusing on symptoms, psychosocial, spiritual, end-of-life care, as well as studies testing nursing interventions, are urgently needed. Interregional research could also assist with building the current evidence.
Barrier Analysis for Continuity of Palliative Care from Health Facility to Household among Adult Cancer Patients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Abate Y, Solomon K, Azmera YM, de Fouw M, Kaba M. BMC Palliative Care 2023; 22(1): 57. DOI: 10.1186/s12904-023-01181-w.
Despite efforts, the palliative care service is not yet organized and linked to primary health care. This study aimed to explore barriers to the continuum of care from facility to household for cancer patients in Addis Ababa. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted with face-to-face interviews with 25 participants: adult cancer patients, primary caregivers, health care providers, volunteers, and nationwide advocates. Key barriers to continuity of palliative care included opioid scarcity, and the turnover and shortage of health care workers that results in a heavy workload.
Furthermore, a shortfall of diagnostic materials, cost of medications, lack of government backing, and home-based center’s enrollment capacity hampered accessibility. Care providers were instruments of cultural barriers in delivering appropriate end-of-life care; on the other hand, patients’ preference for conventional medicine hindered acceptability. Lack of community volunteers, failure of health extension workers to link patients, and spatial limits fraught utilization.
In conclusion, the continuum of palliative care service from health facility to household in Ethiopia is yet in its infancy compromised by factors related to availability, accessibility, acceptability, utilization, and effectiveness.
View the entire June issue of Literature Search as well as the back issues. The June edition contains articles on the following topics:
- 6 articles on access to care
- 10 on education/training
- 5 on essential medicines
- 7 on policy
- 9 on research/research protocols
- 22 articles of related interest
- Plus: Website postings/media reports of interest