ArticleBMJ open2026
Considerations of equity in the development of tools that identify and respond to end-of-life carer support needs: a scoping review.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo (1) systematically identify tools developed to assess and address the support needs of informal carers in palliative or end-of-life care and (2) examine the extent to which socially stratifying sample characteristics have been reported following tool use.
designA systematic scoping review was conducted.
methodsMedline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ASSIA, ProQuest Central and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to May 2024 and again in May 2025. Primary studies using any methodology reporting the development and/or use of tools to assess informal carer support needs in end-of-life care were included. Consistent with scoping review methodology, we did not conduct a quality appraisal of included studies. We extracted tool characteristics, frequency of use and sample characteristics according to PROGRESS+.
resultsA total of 74 articles were included. From these, 24 unique tools were identified. Nine tools were used in ≥2 articles, while 15 were used only once. The most commonly used tools were the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (35 articles), the Family Inventory of Needs (6 articles), the Carer Alert Thermometer (5 articles) and the Spiritual Needs Inventory (4 articles). There was limited evaluation of tools beyond psychometric validation. There were substantial gaps in equity-informed caregiver sample reporting. While gender, age and country of participants were commonly reported, most other PROGRESS+characteristics were inconsistently or minimally reported.
conclusionsWhile numerous tools exist to assess and address informal caregiver support needs, there is considerable variation in tool uptake, evaluation and the extent to which tools consider equity factors. There is a need for equity-informed tool development and clearer conceptualisation of caregiver needs, alongside efforts to evaluate tool implementation, impact and sustainability in palliative care settings.
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