The Caregivers Knowledge and Perception of Pain Management among the Cancer Patients in Cancer Institute, Mulago Hospital.

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the knowledge and perception of the caregivers on pain and its management among the cancer patients from cancer institute in Mulago hospital complex. Problem: Very little information is available about the studies on care giver's knowledge and perception of the cancer patient’s pain and the management of pain in cancer patients, and thus little is known about their knowledge and perception by the caregivers towards the cancer patient’s pain and its management. Objective: To determine the knowledge and perception of the caregivers on pain and its management among the cancer patients from cancer institute in Mulago hospital complex. Methodology: The sampling design will be purposive sampling design, since the data to be collected will be highly confidential which involves personal details of the patients. A purposive sample, also commonly called a judgmental sample, is one that is selected based on the knowledge of a population and the purpose of the study. Findings/Results: A careful analysis revealed the respondents had inappropriate attitude towards the pharmacological management of cancer pain. They believed that cancer pain cannot be eradicated by drugs/medicine. Every pain killer has the ability to manage pain but what differs is the severity of the pain. That is why there are different types of pain killers ranging from weak to strong pain killers. The respondents did not show appropriate perception towards the severity of the cancer pain. Ironically they further believed that the cancer pain cannot be eradicated. Less than half of the respondents believed that cancer pain is not too much while more than half of the respondents believed that cancer pain can never be eradicated. This was the paradoxical finding of this study. Conclusions and recommendations: The care takers should be educated about the cancer pains, its criteria of management and the expectations from their patients. The care takers should educated o how to grade the cancer patient’s pains since they spend more time with them after discharge from the hospital.