Article type
Abstract
"Background
Follow-up care for cancer survivors is becoming increasingly important due to the rising number of survivors. This is attributed to advances in diagnostics and therapy. Nevertheless, follow-up care remains a challenge, especially for vulnerable groups. Reasons for this include, for example, comorbidities, financial burdens, or language barriers. To ensure that these groups receive adequate care, it is particularly important to understand the needs of different groups of cancer survivors and to identify gaps in care.
Objectives
The aim is to examine whether diversity and vulnerability are taken into account in recommendations from guidelines and care programs for cancer survivors.
Methods
As part of the German OPTILATER project (grant no.: 2522FSB01G), we conduct two scoping Reviews (ScR). The first ScR aims to identify recommendations from guidelines on the follow-up care of cancer survivors and examines which characteristics they address. The search was conducted in registers and databases of international and national guidelines. The aim of the second ScR is to identify current care services in North Rhine-Westphalia beyond routine care. A systematic search and a hand search were carried out. The results of both ScR are visualized in evidence-maps using the EPPI-Reviewer.
Results
For the first ScR, we included 235 guidelines, of which, currently, more than 700 recommendations have been extracted and coded based on their content. Notably, the analysis addressed characteristics such as health behavior or diagnostics in the first ScR, yet none of the recommendations specifically targeted vulnerable groups. In the second ScR, we identified 345 follow-up care services for cancer patients, particularly those in long-term care, so far. Offers include, for example, self-help groups, sports groups, social law counselling and information events.
Conclusion
Ongoing data extraction and coding suggest inadequate consideration of diversity and frailty in guidelines and care services. Moving forward, efforts should prioritize to develop guidelines and care programs that explicitly consider the diverse needs of all cancer survivors in order to ensure equitable access to tailored follow-up care services. To achieve this, it is essential to improve the weak data situation by conducting more studies that investigate the effectiveness of interventions for cancer survivors."
Follow-up care for cancer survivors is becoming increasingly important due to the rising number of survivors. This is attributed to advances in diagnostics and therapy. Nevertheless, follow-up care remains a challenge, especially for vulnerable groups. Reasons for this include, for example, comorbidities, financial burdens, or language barriers. To ensure that these groups receive adequate care, it is particularly important to understand the needs of different groups of cancer survivors and to identify gaps in care.
Objectives
The aim is to examine whether diversity and vulnerability are taken into account in recommendations from guidelines and care programs for cancer survivors.
Methods
As part of the German OPTILATER project (grant no.: 2522FSB01G), we conduct two scoping Reviews (ScR). The first ScR aims to identify recommendations from guidelines on the follow-up care of cancer survivors and examines which characteristics they address. The search was conducted in registers and databases of international and national guidelines. The aim of the second ScR is to identify current care services in North Rhine-Westphalia beyond routine care. A systematic search and a hand search were carried out. The results of both ScR are visualized in evidence-maps using the EPPI-Reviewer.
Results
For the first ScR, we included 235 guidelines, of which, currently, more than 700 recommendations have been extracted and coded based on their content. Notably, the analysis addressed characteristics such as health behavior or diagnostics in the first ScR, yet none of the recommendations specifically targeted vulnerable groups. In the second ScR, we identified 345 follow-up care services for cancer patients, particularly those in long-term care, so far. Offers include, for example, self-help groups, sports groups, social law counselling and information events.
Conclusion
Ongoing data extraction and coding suggest inadequate consideration of diversity and frailty in guidelines and care services. Moving forward, efforts should prioritize to develop guidelines and care programs that explicitly consider the diverse needs of all cancer survivors in order to ensure equitable access to tailored follow-up care services. To achieve this, it is essential to improve the weak data situation by conducting more studies that investigate the effectiveness of interventions for cancer survivors."