Caring for the Informal Caregivers: Systematic Review of Unmet Needs in Palliative Care.

The included studies were mostly cross-sectional and self-reported, so they describe needs at a point in time rather than how needs change or what interventions help. Findings came mainly from Western countries and from cancer, end-of-life and Parkinson's disease populations, so they may not apply to all patient groups or settings. Several studies mixed care settings, so it is hard to tell which needs are specific to home, hospice or hospital care. The review only used published studies in English, Italian or Spanish from 1990 onward, so relevant unpublished or other-language work may be missing.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Do not read this as evidence that caregiver needs assessment tools or palliative support programs improve outcomes. The review synthesises descriptive studies of unmet needs and instruments; it does not test whether meeting these needs reduces caregiver distress or improves patient care.