Interventions for healthcare professionals, organizations and patients to enhance quality of life for people diagnosed with palliative esophagogastric cancer: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Esophagogastric (EG) cancer is the fifth most common malignancy, and its incidence is increasing. The disease is fast paced, and five-year survival rates are poor. Treatment with palliative intent is provided for the majority of patients but there remains a lack of empirical evidence into the most effective service models to support EG cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: The overall objective of this quantitative systematic review was to establish best practice in relation to interventions targeted at healthcare professionals or the structures in which healthcare professionals deliver care (i.e. models of care and practice) and patients (diagnosed with palliative EG cancer) to enhance the quality of life for people diagnosed with palliative EG cancer.

INCLUSION CRITERIA TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS: The current review considered studies that included patients diagnosed with palliative EG cancer and any health professionals involved in the delivery of palliative care to this patient group in a hospital, home or community setting.

TYPES OF INTERVENTION: The current review considered studies that evaluated any intervention or combination of intervention strategies aimed at healthcare professionals, organizations or patients to improve quality of life for people diagnosed with palliative EG cancer.

TYPES OF STUDIES: The current review considered both experimental and epidemiological study designs. Studies were excluded that evaluated: screening programs, pharmacology alone, palliative oncology and palliative endoscopy.

OUTCOMES: The primary outcome measure was objectively measured quality of life.

SEARCH STRATEGY: A three-step search strategy was utilized. Sixteen databases were searched for papers from the year 2000 onward and followed by hand searching of reference lists.

METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY: Methodological quality was not assessed as no articles were found that met the inclusion criteria.

DATA EXTRACTION: Data extraction was not possible as no articles were found that met the inclusion criteria.

DATA SYNTHESIS: It was not possible to complete data synthesis as no articles were found that met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS: Comprehensive searching and study selection process failed to identify any studies that were eligible for inclusion in the review.

CONCLUSION: There is currently a lack of published evidence to establish which interventions and strategies are most effective in delivering services to patients diagnosed with palliative EG cancer in terms of service structure, process and delivery.