Abstract
Introduction: Cancer burden is rising globally, with disproportionately high mortality in low-income settings, including sub-Saharan Africa. In Ghana, many patients present with advanced-stage cancer and value open prognostic communication and involvement in care decisions. Despite these preferences, important communication gaps persist between patients and healthcare clinicians. Although patients’ communication needs have been studied, limited evidence exists on cancer communication from the perspective of healthcare clinicians in Ghana.
Objectives: The study aimed to describe healthcare clinicians' current practices regarding communication with patients who have advanced cancer in Ghana.
Methods: The study adopted a qualitative descriptive research design. The study was conducted at the oncology and palliative care directorates of the second-largest teaching hospital in Ghana. Eight general nurses, eight general practitioners, seven oncology nurse specialists, seven oncology specialists, four palliative nurse specialists, and one palliative specialist were employed through a purposive criterion sampling technique and interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide via University of Rochester-secured Zoom. The study participants consented voluntarily to the study. The study was approved by the ethical review boards of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATHIRB/AP/095/25) and the University of Rochester (STUDY00010711). We audio-recorded interviews, transcribed them verbatim, and analyzed them using thematic analysis.
Results: Eight major themes emerged, including communication content; future-oriented communication; ethical tensions and communication dilemmas; communication process and strategies; system-level and interprofessional communication; power dynamics and decision-making strategies; sociocultural, religious, and contextual communication; and patient-centered communication and support. Overall, communication extended beyond treatment information to include general prognosis, advance care planning, emotional support, patient and family involvement, and interdisciplinary collaboration, while being shaped by patient, clinician, and healthcare system factors.
Conclusion/Implications: The study presents the current practices regarding communication between clinicians and patients with advanced cancer. The findings highlight the need for culturally responsive, patient- centered, and interdisciplinary communication strategies that support timely communication and early integration of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer in Ghana.
Notes
Reference list included as supplemental file.
Kofi Agyei was the recipient of the Sigma Foundation for Nursing / Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation End of Life Nursing Care Research Grant, 2025
The slide deck is the recipient's dissertation defense presentation given on 1 October 2026, for the PhD in Nursing & Health Science program at the University of Rochester School of Nursing & Health Sciences.
Dissertation Committee:
Sally A. Norton, PhD, RN, FNAP, FPCN, FAAN (Chair
Natalie LeBlanc, PhD, MPH, BSN, RN
Kah Poh Loh, B.Med.Sci., MBBCh BAO, MS, FASCO, FACCC
Sigma Membership
Epsilon Xi
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Descriptive/Correlational
Research Approach
Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Advanced Cancer, Oncology Care, Cancer Patient Medical Care, Palliative Care, Palliative Treatment, Communication, Medical Communication, Healthcare Clinicians, Cancer Patients, Communication Styles, Attitudes of Medical Personnel, Ghana
Recommended Citation
Agyei, Kofi Gyasi, "Healthcare Clinicians' Perspectives and Practices Regarding Communication with Patients who have Advanced Cancer" (2026). Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports. 224.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/grant_reports/224
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
None: Sigma Grant Recipient Report
Acquisition
Self-submission
Date of Issue
2026-11-02
Full Text of Presentation
wf_yes
Funder
Sigma Foundation for Nursing
Second Funder
Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation
Description
Aim: This study aimed to explore healthcare clinicians' perspectives and practices regarding communication with patients with advanced cancer in Ghana.
Sample: 34 healthcare clinicians, comprising eight general nurses, eight general practitioners, seven oncology nurse specialists, seven oncology specialists, and four palliative specialists, participated in the study.
Setting: The study was conducted at the oncology and palliative care directorates of the second-largest teaching hospital in Ghana.