Care transitions of colorectal cancer patients from hospital to community: Systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of care transition strategies from hospital-to-community compared to usual care for patients with colorectal cancer to reduce hospital stay, 30-day readmissions, and emergency room visits up to 30 days. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis protocol that followed the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P). The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020162249). We will include studies available in the electronic databases PubMed/Medline, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL and LILACS with care transition strategies/actions from hospital to community as the primary outcome. Eligible studies will be selected, and data will be combined and synthesized using Review Manager (RevMan 5.4) software. We will combine risk ratios or odds ratios for dichotomous data and mean differences for continuous data using a random effects model. Discussion: This review will contribute to the practice and development of effective and safe care transition strategies from hospital to community for colorectal cancer patients. There is an expectation that this review will provide much needed evidence that effective care transitions could reduce short term hospital readmission, and may thus provide added value in the care of colorectal cancer patients. Conclusion: The results of the review will be used to provide clear recommendations for hospital and primary care management to improve care transitions and, as a result, also improve integration in the healthcare system.