Survey project titled Assessment of Post-Breast Cancer Treatment Psycho-emotional Conditions and Stigmatization-Socialization Aspects funded under Center for Training and Consultancy (CTC) project Health, Care and Social Rights
Implementing agency: The University of Georgia, Winner Women’s Club
Project duration: 6 months
Context and problem: According to preliminary data of Population-based Cancer Registry of National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, 8,600 new cases of breast cancer are estimated to be registered in Georgia in 2015-2019, in other words, around 1700 women contract that type of cancer annually.
Late visits to doctors and low access to adequate medical services remain a widespread problem. Unfortunately, patients’ psycho-social rehabilitation service is still fragmented. There is no complete statistical data on patients’ and their family members’ psychosocial conditions and needs, there is no data on what amount of services are needed in that regard and who should be involved in the offered services.
It is relevant and crucial to collect the data and conduct the analysis and surveys that would demonstrate the needs and challenges faced by Georgian healthcare system and by patients in terms of regulation of their psycho-social rehabilitation services and accessibility thereof.
Goal and objectives of the project:
Project aims at assessing physical and psycho-social conditions of women after their breast cancer treatments and identify challenges that exist in terms of access to quality care services.
Project’s objectives are:
- Review of crucial international researches and evidence pertaining to the aforementioned subject
- Description and analysis of institutional and legal frameworks that exist in Georgia (current actors and their practices, strategic and normative documents)
- Screenings of women from target groups after their breast cancer treatments with a view to assessing their physical and psycho-social conditions in selected towns and municipalities of Georgia.
- Interviewing of medical personnel providing oncology services with a view to finding out ways to enhance access to quality care services and improve their overall quality.
- Elaboration of evidence-based practical recommendations and facilitation of formulation of best practice policies.
Survey result: Based on the results of the survey, evidence-based recommendations will be elaborated and formulation of best practice policies will be facilitated.
Findings and recommendations of the project will be used as basis for planning and implementing cancer advocacy campaigns.
Methodology:
Selected target group will be researched under the survey. Size of the target group: 360 women (selected from 8,600 women diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015-2019). Face-to-face interviews using the standard questionnaire developed for the survey will be conducted. Screening of patient’s physical (ECOG) and psycho-emotional conditions will be carried out with the use of the questionnaire. Indicators and measurement scales used in international practice will be utilized.
Women who have participated in post-surgery rehabilitation psychology trainings will be grouped together under the survey, their interview results will be compared with those of the other group of women (those who didn’t have access to such trainings). As a result, emotional impact of cancer will be fully evaluated and interventions in the form of further recommendations will be identified for enhancing patients’ physical and moral capabilities and helping them overcome difficulties associated with treatments and lifestyle changes.
A different questionnaire will be used for interviewing medical personnel providing oncology services (oncologists, mammologists, gynecologists – a total of 30 specialists).
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