The Cost-Effectiveness of Nursing Interventions in Cancer Care: Systematic Review

This study aimed to comprehensively examine the studies evaluating the cost impact of nursing intervention in cancer care.

PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were searched between 2001 and 2024 for randomized controlled trials examining the cost-effectiveness of nursing intervention in cancer care. The search strategy and selection process was done following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were included if they (1) involved nursing intervention (nurse-led or nurse involved), (2) were conducted with adult patients with cancer, (3) reported cost-effectiveness outcome, and (4) were randomized controlled trials. The study selection process was performed on the Rayyan program. The Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist was used for quality assessment of included studies.

Twenty-four studies met the criteria and were analyzed. More than half of the studies (18/24) were classified as moderate quality. The types of interventions were nursing care including follow-ups, home visits and needs assessment (n = 11, 46%), education program (n = 2, 8%), telephone follow-up (n = 6, 25%), psychosocial support (n = 1, 4%), group medical consultations (n = 1, 4%), and Geriatric Assessment Management (n = 1, 4%). Seventeen of the interventions were led by the nurse and five were performed by the health care team including a nurse.

In this systematic review, many of the included studies showed the cost-reducing effect of nurse care. Cost-effectiveness can be demonstrated as a way to convince health care system decision-makers to integrate an intervention into care services; in this respect, this result is significant.

Nurses are one of the key factors in the structure of health care delivery, including financing, cost-effectiveness, and resource management. In terms of cancer care, considering the high treatment costs in the world, there is a need to make the situation cost-effective. As providers of health care services, nurses should provide evidence of cost-reducing interventions.