Is nurse-led case management effective in improving treatment outcomes for cancer patients? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

To identify and synthesize the outcomes of nurse-led case management interventions for improving cancer treatment. Systematic review with meta-analysis. PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and CEPS were searched for articles published from inception till June 2019, and search was finalized in January 2020. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement guidelines. The quality of evidence was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. Outcomes were analysed by using a pool of data of 95% confidence intervals (CIs), p value and fitting model based on heterogeneity of test results. Eleven articles were included in the meta-analysis. When compared with the regular care group, the nurse-led case management group had: 1) shorter time from diagnosis to treatment by 9.07days, 2) an improved treatment completion rates (OR=2.45) and 3) more number of patients received hormone therapy. The synthesized results presented that nurse-led case management is more effective than regular care in improving treatment timeliness, treatment completion rates and hormone therapy rates.