Study designs of evaluations included in the review
No inclusion criteria relating to the study design were specified. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and comparative or observational studies were included in the review.
Specific interventions included in the review
Specialist teams caring for advanced cancer patient and their families were eligible for inclusion. A multiprofessional team has been defined as a group of specialists who work together under appropriate leadership. Studies focusing on a particular type of cancer (i.e. breast cancer only) were excluded, because of a lack of generalisability.
Participants included in the review
Studies of patients with advanced cancer and their families were eligible for inclusion. The specific cancers in the included patients were not described. Information relating to the age and gender of the patients was not available for all of the studies.
Outcomes assessed in the review
No inclusion criteria relating to the outcome measures were specified. The outcome measures reported in the review were patient satisfaction, the patient being cared for where they wished, family satisfaction, family anxiety, and patient pain and symptom control.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors do not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many of the authors performed the selection.