Palliative care implementation in Lusaka, Zambia

Palliative care is relatively new in Zambia and not yet integrated in the country's health care system. This has contributed to it not been implemented in different hospitals, despite a number of Nurses and Medical Doctors who have had a specialist training in palliative care. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring the experiences of trained palliative care specialists in implementing palliative care in their work settings in Lusaka, Zambia. This study was an exploratory qualitative research. The population comprised of the trained palliative care specialists in either degree or diploma in palliative care, working in Lusaka. Purposive sampling method was used and the sample totaled 6 (n-6). The data collection was done using a semi-structured interview guide, through face-to-face in-depth interviews. The interviews lasted for an average of 20 minutes. Prompts and probes were used to increase detailed analysis explorations. Eleven themes broadly classified as facilitators or challenges emerged from the study and this provided evidence of the challenges and facilitators that influence Palliative Care Specialists in implementing palliative care into their various Hospital settings.