Reducing Oncologic Disparities by Standardizing Cancer Care

Abstract

PURPOSE Shortages in oncology-trained health care providers pose a major challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and contribute to delays in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Presently, the sole oncologist in the public sector at Princess Marina Hospital, Botswana’s largest oncology referral center, is overextended, causing medical officers to be the primary providers for patients with cancer. Medical officers do not possess formal oncology training, which can potentially lead to imprecise management and suboptimal treatment. In addition, there is no standardized patient interview process in the hematology clinic, leading to inadequately captured patient records. These realities highlight the need for the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based guidelines and intake forms to standardize the delivery of cancer care for practitioners with varying degrees of training. METHODS To serve as a reference for medical officers and oncologists, we reviewed clinical guidelines for the most prevalent cancers in Botswana, namely breast, cervical, prostate, colorectal, and head and neck cancer. We incorporated American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th edition staging criteria into the preexisting guidelines approved by Ministry of Health and Wellness Botswana. We further customized them on the basis of radiology, pathology, and pharmaceutical resource availability in Botswana. Finally, to streamline patient visits, we created intake forms to capture comprehensive hematology-pertinent information. As a quality improvement project, we will record the use and impact of these forms as a tool to standardize the medical records. RESULTS Standardized cancer care guidelines were updated and are under review by the Ministry of Health and Wellness Botswana before circulation. In addition, feedback regarding the new intake forms and their use is currently being recorded. CONCLUSION In low- and middle-income countries, the development of cancer-specific treatment guidelines optimizes disease management through incorporation of evidence-based, resource-adjusted recommendations for clinicians and may aid in reducing global oncologic disparities. As the next phase in the implementation of guidelines, we plan to develop quick-reference cancer pathways for use in public institutions without existing oncologic expertise.