Models of care and associated targeted implementation strategies for cancer survivorship support in Europe: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION

Cancer and its treatments can lead to a wide range of side-effects that can persist long after treatments have ended. Across Europe, survivorship care is traditionally hospital-based specialist-led follow-up, leading to gaps in supportive care. Improved screening, diagnosis and treatment increase survival rates. With more individuals living with, through and beyond cancer, the predominance of the hospital-based specialist model is unsustainable, costly and resource-intensive. An understanding of what alternative Models of Care are available and the barriers and facilitators to their implementation is a first step towards enhancing supportive care across the cancer journey. The aim of this scoping review is to source and synthesise information from studies evaluating patient-oriented models of cancer survivorship supportive care for adults in Europe.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The scoping review will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses-Scoping Review Extension guidelines and will be guided by a six-stage methodological framework. A search strategy has been developed according to the Population, Concept and Context structure and will be applied to seven databases. A targeted search of grey literature will be completed. All identified records will be screened using predefined eligibility criteria by at least two researchers and undergo full-text review for inclusion. Data pertaining to the conceptualisation, evaluation and implementation of sourced Models of Care will be extracted.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

As there is no primary data, ethical approval is not required. This review will be conducted as part of the EU COST Action CA21152-Implementation Network Europe for Cancer Survivorship Care. The protocol and subsequent scoping review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The Action involves representatives from most countries across Europe which will assist with the dissemination of the work to key stakeholders.