Systematic review of technology‐based interventions to improve anxiety, depression, and health‐related quality of life among patients with prostate cancer

Abstract

Objectives This review aimed to systematically evaluate the characteristics of technology‐based interventions (TBIs) and their effectiveness on anxiety, depression, and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with prostate cancer. Methods We identified eligible research reports published in English language between January 1, 2000, and September 15, 2018, from CINAHL; Embase; “Library and Information Science Abstracts”; “Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts”; “Library and Information Science Source”; PsychINFO; and PubMed. We abstracted randomized control trials and quasi‐experimental studies that measured the outcomes related to anxiety, depression, or HRQoL. We extracted the data using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions guideline. Results Among the six randomized control trials and four quasi‐experimental studies that met our inclusion criteria, the TBIs aimed to provide informational, psychosocial, self‐care management, and communication support. About 60‐92% of the participants in six studies completed all required contents and 77‐94% of the participants in four studies logged onto the TBI platform. Compared with the patients in usual care, the TBI users reported a significant reduction in anxiety (N=1 study) and depression (N=2 studies) and improvement in HRQoL (N=2 studies). We also identified the limitations of the existing TBI trials. Conclusions We found insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of TBIs in improving health outcomes (anxiety, depression, and HRQOL) among patients with prostate cancer. Future research needs to (1) use rigorous randomized control trials, (2) be sufficiently powered to examine the effects of TBIs, and (3) examine how the effect of TBIs on health outcomes vary by actual intervention use, intervention components, and duration.

Information Access and Use by Patients With Cancer and Their Friends and Family: Development of a Grounded Theory

“…Together, the MBSS and the HIA suggest that both intrinsic and external variables impact an individual’s ability to access and use health information to plan around the receipt of health care. This conclusion is supported by the wealth of empirical evidence, including multiple systematic reviews [ 1 , 5 , 7 , 33 - 40 ], consistently correlating specific demographic factors (eg, age, gender, education) [ 33 , 41 , 42 ] with various types of information-seeking behavior [ 27 , 43 ] and health information needs [ 5 , 35 ].…”

Addressing distress management challenges: Recommendations from the consensus panel of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society and the Association of Oncology Social Work

“…Another notable research gap is the inclusion of patients who are not clinically distressed in psychosocial intervention studies, which also mutes the effect of targeted interventions 111 . Most studies to date have focused on interventions for patients with breast cancer, and further work to determine the generalizability of these interventions is essential 112‐114 …”

Mental Health and Cancer: Why It Is Time to Innovate and Integrate—A Call to Action

“…Innovation is of course not limited to simulation training. An appraisal of the literature on the characteristics of technology-based interventions in prostate cancer and mental health has highlighted the need for further research in this area [11]. Increasingly, virtual reality is being utilised to enhance patient experience at the end of life and to improve QoL for patients with anxiety who have difficulty undertaking radio-oncological, medical, and surgical treatment.…”