Research data on health facility-level factors that contribute to delayed diagnosis of cervical cancer

In Kenya, cervical cancer is the 2nd commonly diagnosed type of cancer and
the top cause of cancer-related deaths among women. Globally, over 50% of
cervical cancer diagnoses are made late, with this proportion rising to
80% in developing countries. Poor Health systems can cause delays in
diagnosis, thus, this study focused on determining the health
facility-level factors that contribute to delayed diagnosis among cervical
cancer patients at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). An analytical
cross-sectional mixed method study was adopted to collect data on hospital
and referral experiences from 139 cervical cancer patients systematically
sampled at KNH, using a semi-structured questionnaire. Associations
between the stage at diagnosis and hospital and referral experiences were
tested using a logistic regression model at 95% Confidence Interval. 86
(61.9%) were diagnosed at advanced stages III and IV. The potential
predictors for delayed diagnosis were; More number of hospital referral
times (p-value=0.000), Facing referral challenges (p-value=0.041), Longer
time taken for diagnosis appointment (p-value=0.059), and Longer time
taken for diagnostic results (p-value=0.007) in the bivariate analysis.
More number of hospital referral times (p-value=0.001) and longer time
taken for diagnostic results (p-value=0.025), were significantly
associated with delayed diagnosis of cervical cancer in the multivariate
logistic regression test model. Referral challenges included misdiagnosis,
cost of diagnosis, and prolonged diagnosis appointments. The study
concluded that the cause of delays in diagnosis for most patients is due
to poor health and referral systems and inadequate medical personnel and
diagnosis equipment. This study recommends improving referral systems and
encouraging partnerships to decentralize diagnostic centers and equipment
and train more expertise on cervical cancer.