A Cross-sectional Survey of Public and Private Cancer Care in Nigeria and Romania

BACKGROUND: The world is experiencing an increasing number of people with cancer. Cancer care is an important but expensive specialized care requiring continuing research and funding. Private and public participation are key areas of care. We explored key elements of patient care in two centers; Medisprof Cancer center, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH). METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. A researcher-assisted questionnaire was used to collect data, which was inputted and analysed using EpiInfo 7. Descriptive statistics were presented in tables and graphs. RESULT: There was no statistically significant difference when all the responses in the areas of cancer care were compared for variance. Overall, 98% and 88% of patients were satisfied with services received at Medisprof and UCTH respectively. However, lack of communication between hospital departments and patients was reported in 5% at Medisprof and 64% at UCTH with 88% of the patients wanting to be better informed about the hospital services and availability. In Medisprof, on the other hand, only 5% of respondents undergoing diagnostic tests and imaging wanted to be better informed about the services. CONCLUSION: Patient satisfaction and communication about services are integral parts of oncology patientcare. Effective oncology patient care can be achieved in both private and public hospitals with effective communication of services, proper navigation to the point of service stations and physician-patient communication.