A Model of Consultation in Prostate Cancer Care: Evidence From a Systematic Review

There has been an evolution of various consultation models in the literature. Men affected by prostate cancer can experience a range of unmet supportive care needs. Thus, effective consultations are paramount in the delivery of supportive care to optimize tailored self-management plans at the individual level of need.

The aim of this study is to critically appraise existing models of consultation and make recommendations for a model of consultation within the scope of clinical practice for prostate cancer care.

A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement Guidelines. Electronic databases were searched using a wide range of keywords and free text items to increase the sensitivity and inclusiveness of the searches. Findings were integrated in a narrative synthesis.

A total of 1829 articles were retrieved and 17 papers were included. Beneficial features ranged across a number of models that included a person-centered consultation, shared management plans, and safety netting. None of the reviewed models of consultation are suitable for use in prostate cancer care because of a range of limitations and the clinical context in which models were developed. A Cancer Care Consultation Model was informed from critical appraisal of the evidence and expert clinical and service user comment.

Further research is needed to empirically test consultation models in routine clinical practice, specifically for advanced cancer specialist nurses.

The Prostate Cancer Model of Consultation can be used to structure clinical consultations to target self-management care plans at the individual level of need over the cancer care continuum.