Knowledge and Home Caregiver’s Experiences of Palliative Health Care Team Support in Pain Management of Cancer Patients in Rwanda

Jean Claude Twahirwa^1, , Anita Collins², Rebecca White³ and Nsengiyumva Jean Paul⁴

¹School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Rwanda, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Kigali, Rwanda/Lecture at Kibogora Polytechnic

²Rory Meyer's College of Nursing, New York University, New York, USA

³School of Nursing, University of Illinois, Chicago, USA

⁴Philipps-University Marburg, Germany

Cite this paper:
Jean Claude Twahirwa, Anita Collins, Rebecca White and Nsengiyumva Jean Paul. Knowledge and Home Caregiver’s Experiences of Palliative Health Care Team Support in Pain Management of Cancer Patients in Rwanda. American Journal of Cancer Prevention. 2024; 11(1):12-20. doi: 10.12691/ajcp-11-1-3

Abstract

Background Pain is highly prevalent in the general patient population worldwide. Persons suffering from chronic illness are at increased risk of untreated pain, including cancer patients managed in home-based care services. Pain management involves a multidisciplinary team engagement and home-based caregivers need to have educational support, as well as pain management skills for their effective contribution. Objective To assess the knowledge received and explore caregiver’s experience in pain management for cancer patients in a home-based care service in Rwanda. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional design study was conducted at Kibogora hospital catchment area. The sample comprised of 120 in-home caregivers recruited from patient’s cancer follow up in palliative care service. The questionnaire was developed from a study named knowledge and attitudes survey regarding pain and Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results The results of this study revealed that health care team supports palliative home caregivers which enabled them to care terminally ill cancer pain in home without affect. Conclusion Health care team support Palliative home caregivers with knowledge to care patient with cancer pain with satisfactory in Rwanda however there is still a need to increase the effort of support and follow up with involvement of a multiciliary team.

Keywords:
knowledge cancer caregiver experience palliative

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