Abstract
Objectives Lymphedema is neglected in medical education, and a review on healthcare practitioners' (HCPs) knowledge is necessary to shed light on gaps and to provide evidence for establishing educational programs on lymphedema. Methods This systematic review was performed based on the PRISMA guideline in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. There was no limitation on the type of lymphedema or HCPs. The quality assessment was performed based on QATSDD. Data regarding study characteristics, questionnaire context, and findings of the study were summarized from each article. Results After the screening, 16 articles were included that 12 were cross-sectional, two were qualitative, and two were interventional pilot studies. Breast cancer and other cancer-related lymphedema, lymphatic filariasis, and podoconiosis were included, and the majority of articles were focused on primary HCPs. The overall knowledge was low and average in five and 11 articles, respectively, and prior education was a significant factor related to higher knowledge of lymphedema in two studies. Conclusion Structured education of lymphedema is needed to increase the knowledge of HCPs and to enhance their collaboration in multidisciplinary care teams. Improvement of HCPs' knowledge may lead to better outcomes of lymphedema patients' management which are neglected.
Highlights
Lymphedema is the malfunction of lymphatic circulation that leads to interstitial fluid accumulation in tissues
In developed countries and many other regions, secondary lymphedema is mainly considered as phlebolymphedema which arises in the context of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)
While in some other regions dealing with neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), the more important form of secondary lymphedema is lymphatic filariasis or podoconiosis [9, 10]
Summary
Lymphedema is the malfunction of lymphatic circulation that leads to interstitial fluid accumulation in tissues. This condition affects quality of life (QoL) and increases the risk of complications such as cellulitis, obesity, skin changes, and susceptibility to cancer [1,2,3,4]. In developed countries and many other regions, secondary lymphedema is mainly considered as phlebolymphedema which arises in the context of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). While in some other regions dealing with neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), the more important form of secondary lymphedema is lymphatic filariasis or podoconiosis [9, 10]. Despite the great impact of lymphedema on healthcare systems worldwide, it has been neglected in medical research and education [11]
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