SynthesisBMJ supportive & palliative care2016
How can we help family carers manage pain medicines for patients with advanced cancer? A systematic review of intervention studies.
Synthesis in BMJ supportive & palliative care, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- Interventions to Support Family Caregivers in Pain Management: A Systematic Review.Journal of pain and symptom management · 2020Pooled it
- Trial
- Laycarers can confidently prepare and administer subcutaneous injections for palliative care patients at home: A randomized controlled trial.Palliative medicine · 2018Trial
- Perspectives and Needs Regarding Remote Monitoring Technologies Among South Asian Individuals Living With Long-Term Conditions in the United Kingdom: Semistructured Interview and Focus Group Study.JMIR human factors · 2026Article
- The Impact of Pain Education Interventions for Cancer Survivors and Caregivers: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.Cancers · 2024Review
- Libyan Healthcare Professionals', Patients' and Caregivers' Perceptions and Religious Beliefs about Cancer Pain and its Management: A Descriptive Qualitative Study.Journal of religion and health · 2023Article
- "I Refused to Get Addicted to Opioids": Exploring Attitudes About Opioid Use Disorder in Patients With Advanced Cancer Pain and Their Support People.The journal of pain · 2023Article
- Preparing for partnerships in cancer care: an explorative analysis of the role of family-based caregivers.BMC health services research · 2021Article
- Self-efficacy in caregivers of adults diagnosed with cancer: An integrative review.European journal of oncology nursing : the official journal of European Oncology Nursing Society · 2021Review
- Community access to palliative care medicines-patient and professional experience: systematic review and narrative synthesis.BMJ supportive & palliative care · 2021Article
- Factors associated with pain at the end-of-life among older adults in Mexico.Public health · 2021Article
- The Influence of a Home-Based Education Intervention on Family Caregivers' Knowledge and Self-Efficacy for Cancer Pain Management in Adult Patients Within a Resource-Limited Setting.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2019Article
- [Interventions to support self-management in cancer pain].Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2019Review
- Development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Pain Management Manual for Hospice Providers to Support and Educate Family Caregivers.The American journal of hospice & palliative care · 2019Article
- Interventions to support self-management in cancer pain.Pain reports · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFamily carers play a significant role in managing pain and associated medicines for people with advanced cancer. Research indicates that carers often feel inadequately prepared for the tasks involved, which may impact on carers' and patients' emotional state as well as the achievement of optimal pain control. However, little is known about effective methods of supporting family carers with cancer pain medicines.
aimsTo systematically identify and review studies of interventions to help carers manage medicines for pain in advanced cancer. To identify implications for practice and research.
methodA systematic literature search of databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and AMED) was carried out to identify studies of pain medication management interventions that involved family carers of patients with advanced cancer, and reported specific outcomes for family carers. Patient pain outcomes were also sought. Studies were quality appraised; key aspects of study design, interventions and outcomes were compared and a narrative synthesis of findings developed.
results8 studies were included; all had significant methodological limitations. The majority reported improvements in family carer knowledge and/or self-efficacy for managing pain medicines; no effect on patient pain outcomes; and no adverse effects. It was not possible to discern any association between particular intervention characteristics and family carer outcomes.
conclusionsCurrent evidence is limited, but overall suggests face-to-face educational interventions supported by written and/or other resources have potential to improve carers' knowledge and self-efficacy for pain management. Further research is needed to identify how best to help family carers manage pain medicines for patients with advanced cancer.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.