The experiences of informal caregivers of cancer patients in regional-rural Australia: A scoping review.

Description

The number of diagnosed people with a type of cancer in Australia last year was estimated at about 162 000 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2022). The treatment offered to patients is long, difficult and with various complications which require ongoing support. These complications are often connected to location and services (McGrath, 2015). Often, those who share this journey with the diagnosed person are members of family, friends, neighbours, and relatives, who are defined as informal caregivers in this paper. The term informal caregiver will be used to describe those who provide care to people that need it within the context of existing relationships such as family members, friends, and neighbours (AIHW, 2021). Additionally, the informal caregiver is used to differentiate the formal caregiver term of doctors, nurses and other specialised professionals. This research proposal will aim to review Australian and international academic articles from international and national databases from 2012 to June 2023, to analyse the experiences and perspectives of informal caregivers in regional-rural Australia. The scoping review hopes to find the gaps in services offered to informal caregivers as primary support for those living outside Australia's metropolitan areas.

Period	25 Feb 2023 → …
Examinee
Degree of Recognition	National