Scoping Review of Patient-Centered Outcomes in Gastrointestinal Cancer Care.

BACKGROUND

Patient-Centered Care (PCC)-that which addresses individual values, needs, and preferences-is a critical component of cancer care. Value-driven care requires evidence on outcomes that matter to patients, but Patient-Centered Outcomes (PCOs) are inconsistently defined and measured.

AIMS: This scoping review maps and charts the literature on PCOs in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer care and the measures used to assess them with the aim of facilitating a shift toward more PCC.

METHODS

We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, and APA PsycINFO databases (2000-2025) to identify studies involving adult patients with GI cancers that reported or discussed at least one PCO, excluding survival. We summarized PCOs, measures used to assess them, and key study characteristics. Using qualitative cluster analyses, we then organized PCOs into a three-level hierarchy.

RESULTS

Of 1626 studies screened, 140 met inclusion criteria. Across these studies, we identified 187 PCOs and 286 measures. PCOs were grouped into six clusters: symptoms (27.4%), psychosocial (23.6%), lifestyle (23.1%), functional status (11.6%), care experience (8.5%), and healthcare utilization (5.8%). The most commonly mentioned PCO measures were three questionnaires: the EORTC QLQ-C30 (8.1%), FACT-G (4.2%), and the EQ-5D (2.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

A wide range of PCOs and corresponding measures have been reported in GI cancer care research, with symptom, psychosocial, and lifestyle related PCOs being the most frequently studied. Considerable heterogeneity exists in both the PCOs reported and the measures used to assess them. Identifying PCOs that matter most to patients and standardizing their measurement will be essential to advancing PCC.