I'm a Health Systems Manager by profession and currently a Clinician  in  Oncology department Pediatrics.
I cherish discipline, hard work, leading is my desire  and prosperity in Childhood cancer is my dream.
I am finalising  Masters in Public Health currently, my Thesis on in-depth analysis of Pediatric oncology building blocks.
 
Kenyan palliative care providers’ and leaders’ perceptions of palliative care research needs and support to facilitate rigorous research
Introduction
Palliative 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.
Objectives
Beliefs & Awareness: Understanding community and provider perceptions, stigma, and misconceptions about palliative care (often seen as only end-of-life care).
Health System Integration: How to better embed PC within existing health structures and roles of CHVs.
Caregiver Support: Needs and experiences of families caring for patients with life-limiting illnesses.
Cost & Effectiveness: Evaluating the economic benefits and value of PC services.
Treatment Approaches: Exploring complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) and advanced diagnostics.
Populations in Need: Identifying underserved groups requiring PC.  
Methods
Focus groups (FGs) were conducted in November and December of 2024 using a semi-structured interview guide. FGs were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach.
A semi-structured interview guide was developed by our research team for use in the focus groups (FGs). The guide queried: perceptions about PC in Kenya, including strengths, weaknesses and needed improvements; challenges faced in delivering PC
Results
Three FGs were conducted (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.
Conclusions
Kenyan 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.
 
 
 

PALLIATIVE CARE INTEGRATION