Identifying Barriers in Access to Care for Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Field Study in Dakar

To identify barriers in access to care for head and neck cancer (H&NC) patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), specifically within Dakar, Senegal, using both quantitative and qualitative data.

Descriptive observational study.

Patients with H&NC were selected from two independent university hospitals in Dakar, Senegal. A mixed-methods descriptive study was performed using a specifically tailored questionnaire and a focused ethnographic qualitative approach to identify factors that delay patient presentation, referral, and treatment. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative using a deductive approach based on a systematic review of the literature.

Thirty-three patients with a mean age of 57.8 years were included. Presentation delay was 5.7 months, mainly attributed to cost of consultation (39%), waiting time at doctor's office (15%), and distance to healthcare facility (12%). Referral delay greater than 3 months was observed in 60% of participants, secondary to misdiagnosis and lack of appropriate referral. Treatment delay was associated with limited local treatment capacity and securing cost of treatment. Cost of transportation impacted all delays.

This work used an evidence-based approach to identify barriers in access to care for H&NC patients in sub-Saharan Africa. It suggests the feasibility and transferability of this methodology which combined a quantitative approach based on the literature with a qualitative analysis. Insight provided by this study will be used to guide development of implementation strategies for early detection of H&NC in LMICs.

4 Laryngoscope, 132:1219-1223, 2022.