The role of informal caregivers for patients with glioma: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to systematically review, appraise, and synthesize the current evidence on the experiences and needs encountered by informal caregiver of patients with glioma throughout the disease trajectory and to provide a set of practical implications for health professionals. METHODS: Seven English databases and four Chinese databases were searched in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Additional manual searches were completed to identify primary studies, with the language limited by English and Chinese. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research was used to appraise the methodological quality of each study. RESULTS: The systematic review included 16 papers that yielded 71 findings and 6 categories. Finally, 2 synthesized findings were extracted: (I) role transition of caregivers for glioma patients throughout the disease trajectory; (II) support and information need by caregivers of glioma patients. Accordingly, there is a need to recognize the importance of permanent and tailored support for caregivers by providing accurate, practical, and evidence-based information. DISCUSSION: This is the first attempt to systematically evaluate the breadth and quality of the literature concerning the experiences of caregivers with glioma patients. The results generated from the review may shed some light on problems encountered by glioma patients and their families. A limitation of this review is that in most selected studies, the reflexivity of interviewees is not addressed, which may influence the interpretation of the findings. Moreover, the selected studies were reported in English or Chinese, therefore, caution is needed in interpreting the results.