Patient-centred interprofessional education in cancer care: a scoping review protocol

Cancer remains a major global health challenge, affecting millions annually and ranking as the second leading cause of death worldwide. The complexity of cancer treatment requires an interdisciplinary approach, connecting professionals from various fields to deliver personalised and integrated care. However, structural issues and insufficient interdisciplinary training can impede effective collaboration, which is why effective interprofessional education (IPE) is needed. This protocol depicts the planned procedures for a scoping review that aims to explore the role of IPE in enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration within oncology by mapping and synthesising the implementation, impact and evaluation strategies of patient-centred IPE programmes.

This scoping review will be conducted in line with the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines for scoping reviews. The research team will develop a comprehensive search strategy and apply it to the following databases: CENTRAL, CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Scopus and Web of Science . Additionally, we will search for grey literature (eg, using OpenDOAR) and contact relevant organisations for pertinent reports. Each database will be searched without date restrictions on 11 September 2024. In the first stage, eligibility criteria will be assessed through a blinded title and abstract screening, followed by a full-text review. The research team will then extract and synthesise data related to the scoping review questions, focusing on implementation, impact and evaluation strategies employed in the included studies.

As this protocol does not involve collecting primary data, ethical approval is not required. The results of this review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated through institutional websites and conferences.