University of Ghana, Ghana.
University College London, UK.
J Health Psychol. 2021 Mar;26(3):357-366. doi: 10.1177/1359105318814152. Epub 2018 Nov 30.
Poor outcomes for breast cancer in Ghana have been attributed to late presentation of symptoms at biomedical facilities. This study explored factors accounting for delays in initiation of breast cancer treatment at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra. Focus group discussions were conducted with 20 women with breast cancer. A theory-driven thematic analysis identified three multilevel factors influencing treatment seeking delays: (1) patient (e.g. misinterpretation of symptoms, fear), (2) healthcare provider (e.g. negative attitudes) and (3) health systems (e.g. shortage of medicines). Addressing treatment delays will require multilevel interventions, including culturally congruent education, psychosocial counselling/support and strengthening health systems.
加纳乳腺癌患者的预后较差，这归因于患者在生物医学机构就诊时症状较晚。本研究探讨了在阿克拉的科勒布教学医院启动乳腺癌治疗时出现延误的原因。我们对 20 名乳腺癌患者进行了焦点小组讨论。理论驱动的主题分析确定了影响寻求治疗延误的三个多层次因素：（1）患者（例如，症状的误解、恐惧），（2）医疗保健提供者（例如，消极态度），（3）卫生系统（例如，药品短缺）。解决治疗延误问题需要多层次的干预措施，包括文化一致的教育、心理社会咨询/支持和加强卫生系统。
