Caregivers satisfaction with care received by paediatric oncology patients admitted at the University Teaching Hospital-Lusaka Zambia

Abstract

Background: Diagnosis of cancer is a traumatic event that does not only affect the diagnosed patients but also their caregivers. Supportive interventions are therefore essential for the caregivers to go through the cancer pathway and attain a sense of satisfaction for both medical and none medical services. Therefore evaluating the extent to which patients and their caregivers are satisfied with health services is clinically relevant as satisfied patients are more likely to comply with treatment, take an active role in their own care, continue using medical care services and stay under the care of a health provider.

Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that investigated caregiver satisfaction with care received by paediatric oncology patients at the Paediatrics University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka-Zambia. Purposive sampling was used to select study participants and all caregivers who were available in the paediatric oncology ward at the time of data acquisition were selected resulting into a sample size of 50 caregivers. Data was collected using a structured interview schedule.

Results: More than half 26 (52%) of the respondents were knowledgeable about cancer disease, 13 (26%) were partially knowledgeable with only 11 (22%) were not knowledgeable. Despite high knowledge levels, 19 (38%) did not know the cancer stage of their child. The majority 30 (60%) of patients had partial access to cancer treatment with only 3 (6%) who reported having full access to treatment. Concerning professional support, majority 47 (94%) received good or very good support from the staff while only 3 (6%) received poor support. When all the factors assumed to influence satisfaction were considered, 18 (36%) of the respondents were very satisfied, 19 (38%) were partially satisfied with only 13 (26%) who were not satisfied with care received. Of the five factors which were hypothesized to influence caregiver satisfaction, only professional support had a significant association with caregiver satisfaction with a p value of .004.

Conclusions: Only professional support had a significant association with caregiver satisfaction against all other factors hypothesized to influence satisfaction, implying that if appropriate profession support is given, caregivers are more likely to get satisfied with care and consequently comply with treatment.