Information management for the neurosurgical care of brain tumors: A scoping review of literature from low- and middle-income countries

Authors

Muhammad Shakir, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Hammad Atif Irshad, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Aly Hamza Khowaja, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Izza Tahir, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Syeda Fatima Shariq, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Ali I. Rae, Harvard Medical School, United States
Radzi Hamzah, Harvard Medical School, United States
Saksham Gupta, Harvard Medical School, United States
Kee B. Park, Harvard Medical School, United States
Ather Enam, Aga Khan UniversityFollow

Document Type

Review Article

Department

Neurosurgery; Medical College Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Health care in developing countries often lacks adequate bookkeeping and national cancer registries, means of information that have proven to impact disease research and care. The true burden of brain tumors therefore remains unchecked and so does the extent of the problem. Therefore, this study aims to explore the challenges and potential strategies related to information management of brain tumors in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Methods: A comprehensive literature search conducted using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Cumulated Index in Nursing and Allied Health Literature, without any language restrictions, from inception to October 20, 2022. Following screening and extraction of data, themes were generated using the information management domain of the National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plan framework.
Results: The final analysis includes 23 studies that highlighted the challenges to managing information to the surgical care given to brain tumors in LMICs, including lack of proper hospital record system (43%), lack of national brain tumor registry (67%), lack of local management guidelines (10%), and low research output (33%). Some of the proposed strategies in the literature to address these barriers include improving data management systems (45%), developing a population-based brain tumor registry (64%), and formulating local treatment guidelines (9%) for the management of brain tumors.
Conclusions: In LMICs, improving patient outcomes and quality of life postneurosurgical intervention for brain tumors requires coordinated efforts to enhance information systems. The support of the government and public health professionals is vital in implementing strategies to achieve this goal.

Comments

Issue is not provided by the author/publisher.

Publication (Name of Journal)

World Neurosurgery

DOI

10.1016/j.wneu.2024.07.033

Recommended Citation

Shakir, M., Irshad, H. A., Khowaja, A. H., Tahir, I., Shariq, S. F., Rae, A. I., Hamzah, R., Gupta, S., Park, K. B., Enam, A. (2024). Information management for the neurosurgical care of brain tumors: A scoping review of literature from low- and middle-income countries. World Neurosurgery, 190, 208-217.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_surg_neurosurg/402