Study protocol for the development of a real-time interface showing the availability of breast and cervical cancer services in Ghana

PLoS One. 2024 Oct 17;19(10):e0312150. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312150. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Background: The 5-year survival rates for breast and cervical cancers in Ghana are low in comparison to rates in developed countries. This striking disparity is attributed to numerous factors, including limited access and navigability to appropriate services. A one-time cross-sectional, hospital-based survey was performed by the University of Utah in collaboration with Ghana Health Services (GHS) and Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) from November, 2020 to October, 2021 so as to determine existing hospital-based breast and cervical cancer care services capacity and their geographic availability nationwide. This related information remains dynamic in nature and time. The current project employs a public-academic implementation science and research configuration to explore and develop a real-time interface (RTIF) showing the availability of breast and cervical cancer care services at hospital facilities in-country so as to anchor up-to-date data products for the government, private-sector, and patient-centric consumption.

Methods and analysis: Multiple methods will be employed to achieve the study objectives between December 2023 to November 2024. The first three objectives shall focus on contextual, needs, and feasibility assessments guided by the domains and constructs within the updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) during coding and thematic qualitative analysis. Using purposive sampling, breast and cervical cancer care service stakeholders shall be identified for individual in-depth interviews. The fourth objective will involve creating the RTIF prototype and piloting it in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The final and fifth objective shall employ the systems usability scale (SUS) amongst ten randomly selected individual stakeholders to assess the technical functionality of the interface. A nationwide scale-up shall follow this.

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Ghana / epidemiology
  • Health Services Accessibility*
  • Humans
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* / epidemiology
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* / therapy

Grants and funding

Funding for this project is made possible via support of the Gardner Holt Seed Grant through the Center for Global Surgery at the University of Utah/ Ensign Global College in Ghana. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.