TY - JOUR
T1 - Follow-Up Care for Brain Tumors in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
T2 - A Systematic Review of Existing Challenges and Strategies for the Future
AU - Shakir, Muhammad
AU - Tahir, Izza
AU - Shariq, Syeda Fatima
AU - Khowaja, Aly Hamza
AU - Irshad, Hammad Atif
AU - Rae, Ali I.
AU - Hamzah, Radzi
AU - Gupta, Saksham
AU - Park, Kee B.
AU - Enam, Syed Ather
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2024. All rights reserved.
PY - 2025/2/1
Y1 - 2025/2/1
N2 - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Brain tumors have a poor prognosis and a high death rate. Sufficient aftercare is necessary to enhance patient results. But follow-up care provision is fraught with difficulties in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where a variety of variables can impede access to care. Therefore, our systematic review aimed to identify challenges to follow-up care for brain tumors and possible solutions in LMICs. METHODS: A thorough search of the literature was performed from the beginning until October 20, 2022, using Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL. Studies focusing on the aftercare of brain tumors in LMICs met the inclusion criteria. Two reviewers used the National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plan categories to identify themes, extract relevant data, and evaluate individual articles. After being discovered, these themes were arranged in Microsoft Excel to make reporting and comprehension simpler. RESULTS: A total of 27 studies were included in the review. Among the studies included, the most frequently cited barriers to follow-up care were financial constraints (54%), long-distance travel (42%), and a lack of awareness about the importance of follow-up care (25%). Other challenges included preference for traditional or alternative medications (4%) and high treatment costs (8%). Proposed strategies included implementing mobile clinics (20%), establishing a documentation system (13%), and educating patients about the importance of follow-up care (7%). CONCLUSION: In LMICs, several issues pertaining to personnel, infrastructure, service delivery, financing, information management, and governance impede the provision of follow-up treatment for patients with brain tumors. As established by the suggested techniques found in the literature, addressing these issues will necessitate concurrent action by stakeholders, legislators, health ministries, and government agencies.
AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Brain tumors have a poor prognosis and a high death rate. Sufficient aftercare is necessary to enhance patient results. But follow-up care provision is fraught with difficulties in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where a variety of variables can impede access to care. Therefore, our systematic review aimed to identify challenges to follow-up care for brain tumors and possible solutions in LMICs. METHODS: A thorough search of the literature was performed from the beginning until October 20, 2022, using Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL. Studies focusing on the aftercare of brain tumors in LMICs met the inclusion criteria. Two reviewers used the National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plan categories to identify themes, extract relevant data, and evaluate individual articles. After being discovered, these themes were arranged in Microsoft Excel to make reporting and comprehension simpler. RESULTS: A total of 27 studies were included in the review. Among the studies included, the most frequently cited barriers to follow-up care were financial constraints (54%), long-distance travel (42%), and a lack of awareness about the importance of follow-up care (25%). Other challenges included preference for traditional or alternative medications (4%) and high treatment costs (8%). Proposed strategies included implementing mobile clinics (20%), establishing a documentation system (13%), and educating patients about the importance of follow-up care (7%). CONCLUSION: In LMICs, several issues pertaining to personnel, infrastructure, service delivery, financing, information management, and governance impede the provision of follow-up treatment for patients with brain tumors. As established by the suggested techniques found in the literature, addressing these issues will necessitate concurrent action by stakeholders, legislators, health ministries, and government agencies.
KW - Aftercare
KW - Developing Country
KW - Neuro-oncology
KW - Recommendations
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85211159953&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1227/neu.0000000000003082
DO - 10.1227/neu.0000000000003082
M3 - Review article
C2 - 38967439
AN - SCOPUS:85211159953
SN - 0148-396X
VL - 96
SP - 276
EP - 288
JO - Neurosurgery
JF - Neurosurgery
IS - 2
ER -