The Effect of Telehealth Intervention on Symptom Management in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of telehealth application on symptom management in cancer patients.METHODSLiterature search on the subject was searched in Ebscohost, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and DergiPark databases between April 1 and May 1, 2023. The inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study were determined in accordance with the population, intervention, comparison, outcome and study design, studies published in peer-reviewed journals in systematic review, published in English and Turkish, with cancer patients aged 18 years and over, and the full text of which can be accessed. RoB 2 and ROBINS-l assessment tools were utilized to evaluate the risk of bias in the included studies.RESULTSIn the study, 877 studies were analyzed and randomized controlled (n=10) and quasi-experimental stud-ies (n=3) were identified that met the inclusion criteria. It was determined that the physiological and psychological symptoms decreased and the quality of life increased with the telehealth applications. In only one study, it was determined that telehealth application did not change the quality of life, and in another study, it had no effect on diarrhea symptoms.CONCLUSIONThere is no optimal duration and technique of telehealth application used in symptom control of cancer diseases. The applied telehealth method has increased the quality of life by providing symptom control. For this reason, it is recommended that health professionals should include telehealth applications in the care practices of cancer patients, both in symptom control and in improving their quality of life.