Unmet care needs of women who have undergone breast cancer surgery: A scoping review

AimTo summarize the evidence regarding the unmet care needs of women who have undergone breast cancer surgery and identify research gaps.DesignA scoping review.Data SourcesThis review entailed a systematic search in EMBASE, Medline via PubMed, CINAHL Complete, APA PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus (up until 30 July 2023).Review MethodsThis review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley's Framework (2005) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis-Scoping Review extension (PRISMA-ScR).ResultsTwenty-five studies that included 4914 participants were retrieved. Fourteen studies employed quantitative designs, eight used qualitative methods, two were mixed-methods studies and one used a qualitative meta-synthesis. Women who have undergone breast cancer surgery experience a wide range of complex and multifaceted unmet care needs. The informational/educational and psychological/emotional domains were the most frequently reported among the identified domains. Meanwhile, the sexual and spiritual/religious beliefs domains remained relatively underexplored. Furthermore, none of the assessment tools used in these studies captured the entirety of the possible domains of unmet care needs.ConclusionNeeds assessment should be integrated into the routine care of women who have undergone breast cancer surgery. Interventions should be developed to address the unmet informational/educational and psychological/emotional needs of women. Future studies should employ high-quality mixed-methods approaches to explore women's sexual and spiritual/religious concerns.ImpactThis review provides a comprehensive overview of the unmet care needs of women who have undergone the breast cancer surgery. These findings will contribute to the development of tailored interventions. This review also informs future studies to explore distinct domains of unmet care needs.Patient or Public ContributionNo patient or public contribution.

Automated summary

This scoping review summarizes the unmet care needs of women who have undergone breast cancer surgery, focusing on the domains of informational/educational and psychological/emotional needs. It highlights the importance of integrating needs assessment into routine care and developing interventions to address these needs. Future studies should explore underexplored domains such as sexual and spiritual/religious beliefs using high-quality mixed-methods approaches.