Abstract
Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignant neoplasm among women. Its treatment
comprises different strategies. Telehealth can ensure continuity of care in distant
locations. This study aimed to synthesize qualitative evidence of women's experiences
with telehealth during the treatment and follow-up of breast cancer. We performed
a qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis. The databases included in the
search were: Pubmed, EMBASE, CINAHAL, and Web of Science. The search combined the
terms: breast cancer, telemedicine, telehealth, and qualitative study. The studies
included were: qualitative design and mixed methods studies with qualitative components.
The COREQ Checklist assisted in assessing the quality of included studies and an adaptation
of thematic analysis for the qualitative meta-synthesis. We included twelve articles
in the review. In the meta-synthesis, 3 themes emerged. (1) Structure: simple design
and space to obtain information but in need of adjustments. (2) Usability: about the
benefits and limitations of telehealth. (3) Interaction with health professionals.
Telehealth is an accepted strategy for the clinical care of women with breast cancer.
Patients identified the need for improvements in structure, usability, and interaction.
Protocol registration
PROSPERO registration number CRD42021228326, registered 06/02/2021.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 11, 2022
Accepted:
November 9,
2022
Received in revised form:
October 20,
2022
Received:
August 12,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
