Objectives: This study systematically reviewed the literature on the effect of home-based supportive care (HbSC) programmes on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with advanced cancer.
Methods: The research question 'Do home-based supportive care programmes for patients with advanced cancer improve their QoL?' was addressed. After registering the plan with PROSPERO (CRD42022341237), literature published from 1 January 1990 to 30 May 2023 was searched on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane database, CINAHL and Web of Science, and reviewed for inclusion based on predefined criteria. This review only included trial studies published in English.
Results: Of 5,276 articles identified, 17 studies were judged suitable for inclusion in this review. The components of HbSC programmes included home visits, patient and caregiver education, home nursing, psychotherapy, exercise, telephone consultation, and multidisciplinary team meetings. Nine studies reported improvements in QoL, including social functioning, emotional functioning, and subjective QoL.
Conclusion: HbSC programmes appear to enable the improvement of the QoL of patients with advanced cancer. The area of QoL that shows improvement could vary depending on the HbSC components. More studies that address HbSC programmes are needed to select patients at the proper time and provide suitable programmes for patients to benefit most.
Keywords: Cancer; Home Care Services; Quality of life; Supportive care.
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