Information Management for the Neurosurgical Care of Brain Tumors: A Scoping Review of Literature from LMICs.

BACKGROUND

Health care in developing countries often lacks adequate book-keeping 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 LMICs.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search conducted using databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and CINAHL, 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 (NSOAP) framework.

RESULTS

The final analysis includes 23 studies which 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.

CONCLUSION

In LMICs, improving patient outcomes and quality of life post neurosurgical 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.

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