A Systematic Review of Unmet Supportive Care Needs, Barriers, and Facilitators for People with Physical Disabilities...

Individuals with physical disabilities (PDs) face higher cancer incidence and poorer outcomes, yet no prior systematic review has synthesised their supportive care needs from the point of cancer diagnosis onward. This review addresses a critical gap in understanding how to support this population.

A comprehensive search was conducted across PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Web of Science to identify quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies examining supportive care needs, including physical, emotional, psychological, informational, medical, practical, spiritual, or social from diagnosis onward. There were no restrictions on dates for inclusion of papers in this review. Data were extracted and appraised using the MMAT, with findings synthesised via results-based convergent analysis.

Twenty-five studies (16 quantitative, 9 qualitative) were included, representing over 117,000 participants across diverse cancer types. Seven themes emerged: (1) Disparities in access to curative cancer treatment; (2) Personal and hygiene needs not being met; (3) Being overlooked: Dismissal of pain and physical comfort; (4) Unmet emotional and psychological needs; (5) Healthcare environment inaccessibility; (6) Lack of understanding of disabilities and implicit bias and (7) Bridging the gaps through self-advocacy and social support.

This review highlights the urgent need for inclusive, tailored supportive care approaches to address unmet needs, reduce disparities, and improve cancer survivorship outcomes for individuals with PDs.

Disability-inclusive cancer care and training are essential in addressing structural inaccessibility, ensuring that basic care and dignity rights are met, and upholding patient dignity and autonomy. Targeted research is needed to guide inclusive policies, interventions, and service models for this underserved population.