Keywords: Rural health, Cancer, Informal Caregivers, Carers, Intervention
Background:
Supporting the health and wellbeing of those caring for someone with cancer is a priority particularly in resource limited rural areas where there is a lack of support for both the patient and the carer. Informal caregivers (close family and friends) can also have their own psychosocial needs that often go unmet. To date, there have been no systematic reviews that have examined the solely rural evidence in this area, so it is crucial to explore the effectiveness of interventions designed to support informal caregivers of people with cancer in rural settings.
Aim of the study:
To identify and examine the effectiveness of interventions that are delivered to support informal caregivers of people with cancer in rural and remote settings.
Methodology:
The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023468015). MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus, were searched using both subject headings and keywords for articles published between 2013-2023. The review was conducted in line with the the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The included studies were critically appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). To visualize the risk-of-bias assessment, the Risk of Bias Visualisation (ROBVIS) web-based tool was employed. Data extraction was performed using a predetermined template in Microsoft Excel.
Results:
8,314 articles were screened against the eligibility criteria. A total of 23 articles were included in the review. Interventions that actively involve caregivers in their development and implementation tend to be more successful, leveraging their expertise and ensuring relevance, while interventions solely reliant on digital or telehealth solutions may face challenges in rural areas due to limited infrastructure and digital literacy.
Conclusions:
The synthesis of these studies underscores the variation of interventions currently available for rural caregivers and the effectiveness of the interventions. The studies offers crucial insights into the complexities and challenges faced by this specific group of caregivers.
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