BACKGROUND: The implementation of home-based palliative care for patients with cancer aims to relieve suffering and improve quality of life, regardless of disease stage. However, outcomes of such interventions have been inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of home-based palliative care on the quality of life in patients with cancer. INTERVENTIONS/METHODS: Six databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science) were searched for relevant studies up to June 9, 2024. Randomized trials involving patients with cancer receiving home-based palliative care were included. A forest plot was generated using the DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model. RESULTS: A total of 8 studies were included in the final analysis. Home-based palliative care appeared to enhance the quality of life of patients with cancer (pooled standard mean difference, 0.45 [95% confidence interval, 0.04-0.86]; P = .03). CONCLUSION: Home-based palliative care improves the quality of life for patients with cancer. Further research with larger sample sizes and more rigorous methodologies is needed. IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE: The findings highlight the value of home-based palliative care as a model to address the needs of patients with cancer at home, improving their quality of life, similar to hospital-based care.
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Rupang et al. (2025) studied this question.
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