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. 2021 Jul;30(7):989-1008.
doi: 10.1002/pon.5649. Epub 2021 Mar 16.

Systematic review of self-management interventions for older adults with cancer

Kristen R Haase  1 , Schroder Sattar  2 , Steven Hall  3 , Bianca McLean  4 , Aria Wills  5 , Mikaela Gray  6 , Cindy Kenis  7   8 , Valentina Donison  5 , Doris Howell  5   9 , Martine Puts  5
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Systematic review of self-management interventions for older adults with cancer

Kristen R Haase et al. Psychooncology. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of self-management interventions for older adults with cancer and to determine the effective components of said interventions.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of self-management interventions for older adults (65+) with cancer guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis statement. We conducted an exhaustive search of the following databases: Ageline, AMED, ASSIA, CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, Medline, PsychINFO, and Sociological Abstracts. We assessed for quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and Down & Black for quasi-experimental studies, with data synthesized in a narrative and tabular format.

Results: Sixteen thousand nine hundred and eight-five titles and abstracts were screened, subsequently 452 full-text papers were reviewed by two independent reviewers, of which 13 full-text papers were included in the final review. All self-management interventions included in this review measured Quality of Life; other outcomes included mood, self-care activity, supportive care needs, self-advocacy, pain intensity, and analgesic intake; only one intervention measured frailty. Effective interventions were delivered by a multidisciplinary teams (n = 4), nurses (n = 3), and mental health professionals (n = 1). Self-management core skills most commonly targeted included: problem solving; behavioural self-monitoring and tailoring; and settings goals and action planning.

Conclusions: Global calls to action argue for increased emphasize on self-management but presently, few interventions exist that explicitly target the self-management needs of older adults with cancer. Future work should focus on explicit pathways to support older adults and their caregivers to prepare for and engage in cancer self-management processes and behaviours.

Keywords: cancer; geriatric oncology; older adults; psychooncology; self-care; self-management.

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References

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