Effectiveness of Psychosocial care interventions in improving the Quality of Life for Adult Patients with Cancer in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol

Abstract

Background Psychosocial care interventions are part and parcel of cancer care and are known for their significant contribution to the improvement of the quality of life (QoL) for cancer patients and their families. Assessment of the QoL of patients with cancer and their families has become critical in cancer care nowadays since it guides health care providers in making informed decisions during the care process. The aim of this meta-analysis is to synthesise the online literature of primary studies from LMICs in order to understand the effectiveness of psychosocial care interventions towards the improvement of the QoL of adult patients with cancer. Methods This study will be done in tandem with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standards. Primary studies that would have investigated the effectiveness of psychosocial care interventions on quality of life of adult cancer patients will be identified through searches in the various electronic databases that are known to produce optimal and efficient searches for systematic reviews and meta-analyses include: Ovid MEDLINE(R), PubMed, EMBASE, APA PsychINFO, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Studies published between 1st January 2002 and 31st December 2023 in any LMIC, will be searched. After developing the meta-analysis question, we have developed a search string from the PICOST (population, intervention, comparison, outcome, study design, setting and Time-frame) model with a limitation on study design. Discussion This systematic review and meta-analysis will gather evidence from primary studies on the effectiveness of psychosocial care interventions in improving the QoL for adult patients with cancer in LMICs. Protocol registration: This protocol was registered on 5th June 2023 and its registration number is CRD42023421561.