Needs assessmentof patients with cancer attending outpatient department at a selected refferal hospital in Kigali.

Abstract

Background: Globally cancer diagnosis is a complex problem to the patients and to the health care providers also to the family members of the patients with cancer. Cancer patients have different needs during their disease trajectory. The most needs expressed by cancer patients were fund in providing information about prognosis, medical treatment, information related to their family and psycho social and emotional needs. The purpose: To assess needs of cancer patients attending outpatient department at Rwanda Military Hospital. Methods: In this study, the researcher has used a quantitative approach, descriptive cross section; convenience sampling methods, sample size was 93 adults‟ cancer patients. Data was gathered and entered into computer, analyzed with SPSS version 21, chi square has been used to assess the association between demographic information with different needs of cancer patients, a logistic regression analysis displaying Odd Ratio and Confidence Interval of 95% has been used. And the results were presented in form of tables. Results: The results shown the high level of needs among patients with cancer in domain of information needs about diagnosis 90.3%, lack of information about different modalities of treatments 71% and need about information on disease prognosis was highly reported to 91.4%. In addition most of participants reported inability to perform their regular job/activities with high proportion of 91.4% but were happy with the support given by the family. The results also showed a strong association between demographic information and needs of cancer patients to be met or unmet. Conclusion: Patients with cancer face many challenges in their disease process; different needs rise as days go on. Unmet needs have been reported in many sensitive domains of needs (information about diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis and psycho social-emotional needs).Health care providers need to be able to assess cancer patients‟ needs and provide an appropriate care.