Bridging gaps throughout a patient's journey with melanoma: a systematic review

Melanoma is one of the most fatal skin cancers, with rising incidence and mortality worldwide. From diagnosis to treatment, patient experiences often involve anxiety, symptom burden, and limited access to information which profoundly impacts health outcomes.

This systematic review aims to identify and analyze major barriers melanoma patients face throughout their healthcare journey.

Studies were identified from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library, supplemented by manual hand-searching. Eligible studies focused on the experiences of melanoma patients, addressed knowledge gaps and barriers to care throughout the patient journey, and were published in English between 2013 and 2023. Screening and extraction were conducted independently and in duplicate. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria.

Out of 2,257 screened articles, 183 met the inclusion criteria. Studies were categorized into four major themes: intersectionality, treatment, diagnosis/prognosis, and patient/societal burden. Commonly explored subcategories included self-examination, risk factors, and drug efficacy.

Melanoma patients experience significant gaps throughout their healthcare journey. Identifying areas of improvement in current practices is the first step toward developing targeted solutions that improve the patient experience and quality of life.