Abstract
Introduction: The number of cancer patients has been continuously increasing due to early diagnosis and the developments in cancer treatment. At the same time, psychosocial problems due to diagnosis and treatment are also increasing. Anxiety is emphasized to be one of the most frequently observed psychological symptoms in cancer patients and nurse-led telephone follow-up can help reduce the anxiety of patients. This systematic review aimed to determine the effect of nurse-led telephone follow-up on anxiety in cancer patients. Methods: This systematic review was prepared in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) protocol. Akdeniz University center electronic databases including PubMed, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Ulakbim Turkish Medical Index, and Turk Medline were searched studies with “nurse-led telephone follow-up and cancer”, “nurse-led telephone follow-up and anxiety” and “nurse-led telephone follow-up and anxiety in cancer patients” key words. Search results reached in the 5.519 articles. Also references of the determined studies had reviewed. Investigation of the articles published between 2007-2017, which can be accessed in full text, the original six randomized control studies have been sampled. Results: A randomized control study was conducted by Badger and colleagues (2007). According to the study, anxiety reduced for telephone interpersonal counseling (TIP-C) and self-managed exercise group with a statistically significant difference according to control group. In other study, Beaver et al. (2012) reported that mean scores (hospital group: 36.0±17.4; telephone group: 27.9±9.8) for State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) state anxiety were appreciably higher in the hospital arm at follow-up but there were no significant differences between groups at follow-up in STAI. The remaining four studies (Kimman et al. 2011, Beaver et al, 2009, Livingston et al. 2010, Beaver et al, 2017) indicated no significant difference between the groups. Conclusion: Nurse-led telephone follow-up can reduce anxiety. However, this review indicated that a limited number of studies existed on this subject.
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