The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2023 Apr;132(4):449-459. doi: 10.1177/00034894221088180. Epub 2022 May 12.
This review provides a summary of the current understanding of the health and well-being of the head and neck cancer (HNC) caregiver. Our goal is to understand the healthcare needs required by the caregivers of our oncologic patients, which may ultimately influence quality of care and support that cancer patients require during treatment and recovery.
Independent database searches were conducted to identify articles describing HNC caregiver health and healthcare utilization. Search terms included key synonyms for head and neck cancer, caregiver, psychological stress, anxiety, depression, mental health service, and delivery of healthcare in the title/abstract.
After following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Protocol, a total of 21 studies were included. Among the 21 studies in the review, a total of 1745 caregivers were included. The average age was 57 years, the majority were female (58%-100%), and spouses/partners of the patients (77%). The literature demonstrates significant anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and physical health decline in addition to multifaceted unmet physical and mental health needs among HNC caregivers.
There is no standard for examining HNC caregiver healthcare needs, while there is evidence of increased healthcare utilization. The literature is limited regarding medical burdens faced by caregivers. Future research is needed to assess the physical health and comorbidities of HNC caregivers and their engagement with the healthcare system to guide further implementation of support models to address the needs of this population.
本综述概述了头颈部癌症（HNC）照顾者的健康和福祉现状。我们的目标是了解肿瘤患者照顾者的医疗保健需求，这最终可能会影响癌症患者在治疗和康复期间所需的护理质量和支持。
独立数据库检索旨在确定描述 HNC 照顾者健康和医疗保健利用情况的文章。检索词包括头颈部癌症、照顾者、心理压力、焦虑、抑郁、心理健康服务和医疗保健提供的关键同义词，这些词出现在标题/摘要中。
根据系统评价和荟萃分析的首选报告项目（PRISMA）方案进行检索后，共纳入 21 项研究。在综述中的 21 项研究中，共有 1745 名照顾者被纳入。平均年龄为 57 岁，大多数为女性（58%-100%），是患者的配偶/伴侣（77%）。文献表明，HNC 照顾者除了存在多方面的未满足的身心健康需求外，还存在明显的焦虑、抑郁、创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）和身体健康下降。
目前还没有评估 HNC 照顾者医疗保健需求的标准，尽管有证据表明医疗保健利用率增加。关于照顾者面临的医疗负担的文献有限。需要进一步研究来评估 HNC 照顾者的身体健康和合并症及其与医疗保健系统的参与情况，以指导进一步实施支持模式，满足这一人群的需求。
