Development of a Culturally Sensitive Breast Cancer Patient Education Toolkit in Rwanda: A Methodological Approach

Development of a Culturally Sensitive Breast Cancer Patient Education Toolkit in Rwanda: A Methodological Approach | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Method Article Development of a Culturally Sensitive Breast Cancer Patient Education Toolkit in Rwanda: A Methodological Approach Emile NGABO, Yves Patrick NIYONIZERA1, Liliane UMURERWA, Salmon IZERE, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8459757/v2 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Abstract Background: Breast cancer is an escalating public health concern in Low and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Rwanda, the annual new cases are projected to increase from 1,131 in 2018 to 2,420 by 2040. Despite this growing burden, many patients face significant gaps in access to clear, culturally appropriate, and comprehensive information regarding their diagnosis, treatment, and care journey. In response, OAZIS Health launched the ICYIZERE (hope) Initiative to develop and disseminate a patient-centered, culturally sensitive education toolkit aimed at supporting informed decision-making and improving the quality of life for breast cancer patients and their caregivers. Methods: The toolkit was developed using a structured, participatory process anchored in four key stakeholder consultative workshops. The process began with a desk review workshop to assess and synthesize existing national and international breast cancer educational materials and practices. This was followed by a technical consultative workshop involving multidisciplinary experts, including physicians, oncologists, health communication specialists, and breast cancer survivors, to design patient-centered and context-specific content. A draft review workshop was then conducted to assess language clarity, cultural relevance, and medical accuracy. Finally, a national validation workshop brought together representatives from health policy-making agencies, professional societies, civil society organizations, and patient advocacy groups to review and endorse the final content for dissemination. Results: The resulting patient education booklet is a user-friendly, evidence-based resource available in both print and electronic formats. It addresses the informational and emotional needs of breast cancer patients across different stages of care. Designed for distribution within cancer care facilities and through community outreach channels, the booklet provides culturally tailored guidance on diagnosis, treatment options, survivorship, and coping strategies. Conclusion: This multi-stakeholder, consultative development process ensured that the breast cancer patient education booklet is both scientifically accurate and culturally appropriate for the Rwandan context. The approach demonstrates a scalable model for patient education material development in low- and middle-income countries. Future updates will incorporate feedback from patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to ensure continued relevance and effectiveness. Health Economics & Outcomes Research Breast cancer Patient education Health communication Toolkit development Cultural adaptation Low- and middle-income countries Rwanda Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8459757","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Method Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":575290085,"identity":"e9cb32b7-2008-4871-bc8c-aea9787a264d","order_by":0,"name":"Emile NGABO","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"OAZIS Health","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Emile","middleName":"","lastName":"NGABO","suffix":""},{"id":575290086,"identity":"34cdea8c-2c60-4b2f-8ceb-0ed46f1a02fd","order_by":1,"name":"Yves Patrick NIYONIZERA1","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"OAZIS 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In Rwanda, the annual new cases are projected to increase from 1,131 in 2018 to 2,420 by 2040. Despite this growing burden, many patients face significant gaps in access to clear, culturally appropriate, and comprehensive information regarding their diagnosis, treatment, and care journey. In response, OAZIS Health launched the ICYIZERE (hope) Initiative to develop and disseminate a patient-centered, culturally sensitive education toolkit aimed at supporting informed decision-making and improving the quality of life for breast cancer patients and their caregivers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods:\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe toolkit was developed using a structured, participatory process anchored in four key stakeholder consultative workshops. The process began with a desk review workshop to assess and synthesize existing national and international breast cancer educational materials and practices. This was followed by a technical consultative workshop involving multidisciplinary experts, including physicians, oncologists, health communication specialists, and breast cancer survivors, to design patient-centered and context-specific content. A draft review workshop was then conducted to assess language clarity, cultural relevance, and medical accuracy. Finally, a national validation workshop brought together representatives from health policy-making agencies, professional societies, civil society organizations, and patient advocacy groups to review and endorse the final content for dissemination.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults:\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe resulting patient education booklet is a user-friendly, evidence-based resource available in both print and electronic formats. It addresses the informational and emotional needs of breast cancer patients across different stages of care. 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