Patient narratives of illnesses requiring abdominal surgery in Cambodia: Heroic/stoic, and dealing with 'the ball of meat'

Patient narratives of illnesses requiring abdominal surgery in Cambodia: Heroic/stoic, and dealing with 'the ball of meat'

This study describes the illness narratives that inform treatment-seeking behaviours for acute abdominal conditions in Cambodia, and thereby explores factors impeding the timely delivery of surgical intervention. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were undertaken with patients who had undergone...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Global public health Vol. 15; no. 5; pp. 763 - 775
Main Authors: Page, Wendy, Murray, Linda, Phun, Khann, Turner, Richard
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Taylor & Francis 03-05-2020
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects:
Abdomen
Abdominal pain
Abdominal surgery
anaesthetic
Ancient Greek philosophy
Cambodia
Content analysis
Cost control
Health care expenditures
Health services utilization
Help seeking behavior
Illnesses
Intervention
Interviews
Meat
Medical treatment
Narratives
Patients
Recovery time
Rehabilitation
Stoicism
Surgery
treatment-seeking behaviour
Cambodia
treatment-seeking behaviour
Cambodia
anaesthetic
surgery
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Summary:This study describes the illness narratives that inform treatment-seeking behaviours for acute abdominal conditions in Cambodia, and thereby explores factors impeding the timely delivery of surgical intervention. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were undertaken with patients who had undergone abdominal surgery at Siem Reap Provincial Hospital between 2011 and 2014. Interviews collected basic demographic information and also patient narratives based on Groleau's McGill Illness Narrative Interview (MINI). Interviews were contemporaneously translated from Khmer to English and recorded for transcription. A content analysis of interview transcripts based on narrative enquiry was undertaken. Ninety-seven patients participated in the study and five themes emerged from the data. These were: Explanatory models about the causes of abdominal pain and effects of surgery; Pre-surgery stoicism and illness management; Fear of poor outcomes and death; Burden of treatment costs and anticipated recovery time; and, Enhancing community trust in surgery. Our findings add the patient voice to the limited evidence about access to surgery, and socio-cultural and financial barriers affecting treatment-seeking behaviours in Cambodia. By understanding the collective narratives surrounding experiences of abdominal surgery, efforts to improve surgical services in Cambodia may be better informed of the reasons patients delay treatment.
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ISSN:1744-1692
1744-1706
DOI:10.1080/17441692.2019.1636113