Palliative care recovery outcomes: nature of recovery outcomes among cancer patients in Nairobi and Nyeri counties, Kenya

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Date
2021Author
Wang’ombe, Joyce Muthoni
Kathungu, Beatrice
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Purpose: This study sought to find out nature of recovery outcomes among cancer patients
attending palliative care in Nairobi and Nyeri County
Methodology: The study adopted a correlation research design. The target population was
the cancer patients, attending treatment at the three palliative care units in Nairobi and Nyeri
Counties. Systematic random sampling technique was used in the study to obtain a sample of
96 participants. Semi structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Data was analyzed
using both descriptive and inferential statistics, namely Pearson Moment Correlation
Coefficient(r).
Findings: Result showed that, majority of the respondents (65.5%) had a low level of
recovery outcomes, while 32.1% had a high level of recovery outcomes. results indicate that
the lowest score on recovery outcomes was 31, while the highest score was 74. The mean
score was 47.0+9.465, which indicates that the recovery outcomes fell in the low range.
These findings were not unusual considering that most of the patients were newly diagnosed
with cancer and for some respondent’s metastasis had set in.
Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends that the
counsellor in collaboration with the administrators and medical staff in the palliative care
units should create awareness and encourage the attending patients to source for a health
insurance cover e.g. National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to cater for the cancer disease
both outpatient and incase of hospitalization. This will ease the financial burden of cancer on
the patient, family and community which was identified as a challenge