Experiences of patients and providers while using telemedicine in cancer care during COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative literature

PURPOSE: The objective of this meta-synthesis was to identify, appraise, and synthesize patients and provider’s experiences while using telemedicine in cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The databases Medline, Embase, Cinahl, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and other related databases were searched. Reviewers followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) meta-aggregation method to identify categories and synthesized findings and to assign a level of confidence to synthesized findings. The listed quotations and the original author interpretations were synthesized using MAXQDA software. RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included in the meta-synthesis. Three synthesized findings emerged from 243 primary findings: telemedicine assists but cannot be a substitute for face-to-face appointments in a health care crisis and in the provision of routine care to stable patients with cancer, infrastructural drivers and healthcare provider’s support and attention affect patients’ experiences and feelings about telemedicine, and patients who use telemedicine expect their health care providers to devote enough time and consider emotional needs, the lack of which can develop a negative response. The methodological quality of the studies ranged between 4 and 10, and the overall level of confidence of the synthesized findings was determined to be low and medium. CONCLUSION: The findings from this meta-synthesis gave a new insight to promoting the safe and evidence-based use of telemedicine during the current pandemic and future emergencies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-022-07415-6.