Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Cancer
Date Submitted: Jan 22, 2025
Date Accepted: Apr 15, 2025
Date Submitted to PubMed: Apr 29, 2025
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Caring Through the Final Phase: A Meta-Synthesis of Family Experiences, Needs and Perceptions in Home-Based Palliative Care for Terminal Cancer Patients.
ABSTRACT
Background:
Home-based palliative care is recognised for its benefits in supporting terminal cancer patients during their final stages of life at home. Families play a key role in this care, yet their experiences, needs, and perceptions remain under-researched and lack systematic review.
Objective:
This review synthesises literature to explore the experiences, needs, and perceptions of families providing home-based palliative care to terminal cancer patients, aiming to identify themes to improve services.
Methods:
This meta-synthesis follows a systematic review of qualitative studies, guided by six steps of qualitative research synthesis. A three-step thematic synthesis was used to derive analytical themes. Eligibility Criteria Studies focused on family experiences and perceptions while caring for terminal cancer patients at home were included. Excluded were studies centred solely on patients or healthcare providers. Information Sources Databases searched include MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, and grey literature up to 13 September 2023. Two investigators independently screened articles. Quality Assessment The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist was used to assess quality. Findings were evaluated using the GRADE-CERQual approach, with discrepancies resolved through discussion.
Results:
Five studies published between 1989 and 2013, spanning Asian and Caucasian societies, were included. Two main themes emerged: (1) Being physically and emotionally present, and (2) Sharing responsibilities. These themes highlight the essential role of families and the impact of home-based care.
Conclusions:
This meta-synthesis underscores the importance of family involvement in home-based palliative care for terminal cancer patients, supported by hospice teams. Further research is needed to better understand family needs and improve support.
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Copyright
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