GuardiansCan

About GuardiansCan

The overall goal with the research project GuardiansCan in Tanzania is to increase guardians’ adherence to care and treatment when a child is diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Background

In high income countries, most children diagnosed with cancer survive the disease. In low income countries, such as Tanzania, most children do not survive the disease. Research has shown challenges for guardians to adhere to their children’s treatment and care. Together with guardians we will develop an mHealth intervention that can help guardians to follow recommendations from healthcare.

We have recruited a group of guardians (Guardian Advisory Board (GAB)) of children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in Dar es Salaam who work with us. The GAB consists of grandmothers, mothers, uncles, and fathers from different regions in Tanzania including the islands Pemba and Zanzibar.

Studies within the project

The project consists of four studies. In Study 1, we will examine whether and, if so, how the GAB has an impact on how Study 2-4 are conducted. In Study 2, we will with focus group discussions and photovoice techniques examine which concerns guardians experience while caring for a child with ALL and their preferences regarding an mHealth intervention. In Study 3 we will, with participatory action research together with guardians, healthcare staff, and system developers develop an intervention on the basis of findings from Study 2. In Study 4 we will, with a feasibility study test whether guardians want to use the intervention and find it useful and helpful.

If results from Study 4 show that guardians want to use the intervention and it seems to have an effect on their adherence to children’s treatment and care, we will with a controlled study evaluate the intervention’s clinical efficacy i.e., whether it has an effect on guardians’ adherence to treatment and care and whether it is cost-effective. If the intervention has an effect on adherence we will together with guardians and healthcare staff at MNH provide guardians of children treated for ALL access to the intervention.