Positive cancer care in Peru: Patient and provider perspectives

Abstract

Peruvian women experience high mortality from reproductive cancers, partially due to suboptimal cancer care utilization and experiences. In this qualitative study, we examined factors contributing to positive cancer care experiences. Our sample included 11 cancer patients and 27 cancer providers who attended the First International Cancer Symposium survivorship conference in Lima, Peru in 2015. We conducted thematic analysis. Emergent themes revealed that, for patients, individualized empathic care by providers was an important facilitator to positive cancer care experiences. For providers, the ability to provide such care depended on provider norms and facility infrastructure to support such patient-centered practices.