JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Timeous delivery of high-quality cancer care to all patients is barely achieved in South Africa and many other low-middle-income countries, mainly due to poor care coordination and access to care services. After health care visits, many patients leave facilities confused about their diagnosis, prognosis, options for treatment, and the next steps in their care continuum. They often find the healthcare system disempowering and inaccessible, thereby making access to healthcare services inequitable, with resultant outcomes being increased cancer mortality rates.

Objective:

Therefore, the aim of this study is to propose a model for cancer care coordination interventions that can be used to guide and achieve coordinated access to lung cancer care in the selected public healthcare facilities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

Methods:

This study will be conducted through a grounded theory design and an Activity-based Costing approach, which will include health care providers, patients and their carers. The study participants will be purposively selected, a non-probability sample will be selected based on characteristics, experiences of the healthcare providers and the objectives of our study. With the objectives of the study in mind, communities in Durban and Pietermaritzburg were selected as study sites for the study together with the three public health facilities that provide cancer diagnosis, treatment and care in the province. The study involves a range of data collection techniques namely, in-depth interviews evidence synthesis reviews and focus group discussions. Thematic and cost-benefit analysis will be used.

Results:

This study receives support from the Multinational Lung Cancer Control Programme. The study obtained ethics approval and gatekeeper permission from the University’s Ethics and KZN Provincial Department of Health, as the study is being conducted in health facilities in KZN province. As of October 2021, we enrolled 41 participants, both healthcare providers and patients. Dissemination activities will involve community and stakeholder dissemination meetings, publications in peer reviewed journals and presentations at regional and international conferences.

Conclusions:

This study will provide comprehensive data to inform and empower patients, professionals, policy architects and related decision-makers to manage and improve cancer care coordination. This unique intervention/model will be designed to address the multifactorial problem of cancer health disparities. If successful, this study will affect the design and implementation of coordination programs to promote optimal cancer care for underserved patients.