Impact of early palliative care on the quality of life in caregivers of cancer patients: A systematic review

Abstract

Background Maintaining caregivers' quality of life (QoL) is critical to sustaining the care needed for cancer patients. One of the interventions applied to cancer patients' caregivers is early palliative care (EPC). Aims This systematic review synthesized the implementation of EPC on the QoL of caregivers of cancer patients. Methods The search was undertaken using seven electronic databases: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, CENTRAL, Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertation & Theses (PQDT). The search strategy integrated relevant terms of early palliative care, caregivers, cancer, and quality of life and was conducted until March 14, 2022. The thematic data analysis approach was used to integrate the results. Results Using advanced search features, 4193 studies were obtained on the initial search. After screening and quality assessment, eight studies were included. Eight studies depicted that EPC interventions were delivered for caregivers of patients with advanced cancer, that is, those with a life expectancy of at least 4–24 months or considered intermediate to poor prognosis. One study provided the intervention for caregivers of patients newly diagnosed with cancer. None of the studies had the same protocol or content in delivering EPC for caregivers. Four studies gave similar details on addressing the strategies for caregivers in several aspects, including physical, psychological, social, and spiritual. There was no difference in the QoL between caregivers with cancer patients who received EPC compared with usual care. EPC was noted to influence other factors, such as caregivers' psychological distress and burden. Linking evidence to action The data on EPC interventions portray no beneficial effects on the QoL of caregivers with cancer patients. Further studies on developing standard protocols of EPC, multidisciplinary team, and how early it should be given to caregivers are strongly recommended.

Validity and Reliability of the CarGOQoL Questionnaire Among Informal Caregivers of Patients With Cancer

“…15,16 Ultimately, the QoL and well-being of these caregivers are impaired. 16,17 A previous study of informal caregivers of patients with cancer reported that the prevalence of anxiety symptoms among this population reached 38.1%, and that the prevalence of depression symptoms ranged from 20.0% to 82.2%. 18 Furthermore, a study that compared the psychological burden of patients with cancer and that of their primary caregivers demonstrated that caregivers experience a degree of pain comparable to that of patients with cancer and an even higher levels of mental stress.…”

Experience of multidisciplinary medical teams on humanistic palliative care in oncology wards: a descriptive qualitative study in Southern China

“…Globally, China has the highest number of new cancer cases and deaths, and the cancer burden is increasing 3. Palliative care is a philosophy of care aimed at enhancing the quality of life for patients with serious illnesses and their families 4 5. The 2017 National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice guidelines on palliative care strongly emphasise the early integration of palliative care into overall oncology treatment 6.…”

“… 3 Palliative care is a philosophy of care aimed at enhancing the quality of life for patients with serious illnesses and their families. 4 5 The 2017 National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice guidelines on palliative care strongly emphasise the early integration of palliative care into overall oncology treatment. 6 Quality palliative care should encompass comprehensive support for patients and their families across physical, mental, spiritual and societal dimensions throughout the course of the illness.…”

Caregiver’s quality of life in advanced cancer: validation of the construct in a real-life setting of early palliative care

“…EPC is the first model of care that has explicitly formalized the inclusion of the caregiver's QoL into the paradigm, as also recommended by WHO guidelines (26), since the time of the diagnosis and after the patient's death. As a consequence, the EPC, compared to the late PC, translates into a better output for the caregiver, as, has recently been demonstrated (for reviews, see 27,28). Notwithstanding, the construct of QoL from the caregiver's perspective has not been sufficiently investigated and there is paucity of validated measures in this area.…”