Healthcare Provider- Patient Communication and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Management in Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenya

Abstract

Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of female cancer mortality in Kenya, despite being largely preventable through vaccination, screening, and early management. The persistent gap between available interventions and their limited uptake highlights the need to interrogate healthcare provider–patient communication as a determinant of prevention and management outcomes. This study examined how communicative behaviour, language use, and communication techniques moderated by communication barriers influence cervical cancer prevention and management among women seeking services at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Kenya. Guided by the Health Belief Model, Social Penetration Theory, Transactional Model of Communication, and the Ecological Model of Health Behavior, the study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected from women receiving cervical cancer services, complemented by qualitative insights from healthcare providers. This methodological approach enabled both breadth and depth in capturing the dynamics of communication in a high-volume tertiary oncology context. The synthesis of findings revealed that communicative behaviors such as empathy, active listening, and trust-building were decisive in enhancing women’s willingness to engage in prevention and treatment. Language clarity improved comprehension but did not independently drive behavioral change unless it was integrated with relational and motivational strategies. Communication techniques, including shared decision-making and motivational interviewing, demonstrated potential to empower patients, yet were inconsistently applied. Across all objectives, systemic and socio-cultural barriers—including stigma, workload pressures, and gender norms—moderated the impact of communication, often attenuating otherwise positive effects. The study concludes that healthcare provider–patient communication is not a peripheral aspect of service delivery but a strategic lever in bridging the gap between policy intentions and patient-level outcomes. Strengthening communication requires embedding empathetic behaviors, culturally attuned language, and interactive techniques within supportive institutional systems. The findings contribute to theory by contextualizing established models in a low-resource oncology setting, and to practice by offering actionable insights for training, policy design, and patient-centered interventions.