A growing body of research is exploring the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with cancer. Already acknowledged as being infectious and deadly [1, 2], as of August 26th, 2020, there are approximately 23, 736, 101 confirmed COVID-19 cases, among which, 815, 248 deaths have already occurred [3]. Through a retrospective analysis of 355 patients dying from the coronavirus, one in five of these patients had active cancer [4]. Individuals with cancer can experience underlying malignancy, treatment-induced immunosuppression, and possible comorbidity [5-7], and it has been shown that they are more likely to develop severe symptoms from COVID-19 [5, 6, 8]. Research also indicates that, compared to COVID-19 patients without cancer, COVID-19 patients with cancer are more likely to have higher risks in all severe outcomes (e.g., higher mortality rates) [5, 6]. Additional factors may further increase cancer patients' vulnerability to COVID-19, such as limited access to medical resources and cancer care, during this pandemic [9-11].
Due to medical resource rationing, a majority of cancer care and treatment services were either cancelled or indefinitely postponed during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic [12, 13]. No longer having access to the healthcare services they were accustomed to or depended upon [8, 13], informal cancer caregivers may now be shouldering considerably more caregiver burden due to COVID-19. While the effects of this deprivation of access to cancer care on cancer patients are well discussed [14, 15], caregiving responsibilities influencing cancer caregivers' health and well-being is less examined. Other than healthcare professionals in a caring role as a part of their work, an informal caregiver is one who is offered unpaid or ill-compensated care to a family member or a friend, due to disease-centered or ageing-related reasons. Pre-COVID-19 data show that caregivers shoulder approximately 70-89% of all care needed by patients in general [16]. Considering the interruptions COVID-19 exerts on cancer care and treatment, it is probable that cancer caregivers are shouldering even greater caregiving responsibilities for patients.
Cancer caregivers have been facing tremendous stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The range of issues resembles a triple crisis of (1) confronting the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, (2) shouldering pronounced care needs from the patient, and (3) coping with considerable needs for physical and psychological care from within. In other words, in addition to being forced to deal with a pandemic and patients' pronounced cancer care needs discussed above, caregivers may also experience substantial physical and psychological health issues that require timely medical attention. Mounting evidence indicates that cancer caregivers often face substantial caregiver burden that can have negative impacts on their physical and psychosocial health [17-19]. In a review study, findings on 21,149 caregivers show that the prevalence of depression and anxiety is 42.30% and 46.55% in these caregivers, respectively [20]. It is important to note that blanket measures, such as lockdowns, self-isolation, and social distancing, can exert further pressures on cancer caregivers. Research suggests that social support from community members can lower anxiety and depression experienced by cancer caregivers; these supports are significantly limited due to social distancing recommendations [21].
Technology-based interventions refer to "the use of technology to manage or support health promotion strategies aiming to produce accessible and affordable health solutions to the target audience" [22]. Studies have shown that technologies (e.g., telehealth) may be particularly useful to address issues cancer caregivers experienced during COVID-19; with some research identifying the potential improvement to health and well-being [23-25]. Technology-based interventions can offer greater accessibility to care for cancer caregivers that can be: (1) delivered remotely without physical contacts between interventionists and the caregivers [26, 27], (2) received cost-effectively without the need for transportation [24], and accessed conveniently with self-paced learning [28, 29] of tailored content [30, 31]. In addressing the unique challenges cancer caregivers face amidst COVID-19, no research has identified technology-based health solutions for cancer patients that can address these needs, such as care needs, general healthcare needs, information and communication needs, and social support needs (see Table 1). Thus, to bridge this gap, this systematic review identifies the literature surrounding technology-based solutions for cancer caregivers that can mitigate challenges they face amid COVID-19.
Table 1. Cancer caregivers' unique needs associated with COVID-19
Cancer Caregivers' Unique Needs Associated with COVID-19
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Unique challenges due to COVID-19
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Need Category
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Due to cancer patients' canceled or delayed access to cancer care owing to heightened healthcare needs among COVID-19 patients, patients may need to rely more on caregivers for their care needs compared to their pre-COVID-19 normal.
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Cancer care needs
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As a result of negative impacts of COVID-19 and striking caregiver burden amid COVID-19, cancer caregivers may need healthcare services that can address issues associated with their physical and psychological health.
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General healthcare needs
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In addition to pronounced need for information on healthcare, due to the fear and uncertainty surround COVID-19, caregivers may need more information to help themselves as well as patients to cope with the impacts associated with COVID-19.
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Information & communication needs
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Protective measures against the spread of COVID-19 (e.g., lockdowns, self-isolation, and social distancing)
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Social support needs
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