Paper Information

The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of palliative care in treating adults with end-stage liver disease (ESLD), focusing on outcomes such as quality of life, quality of care, symptom burden, and patient satisfaction.

MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase (Ovid), Cochrane (CENTRAL), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Scopus, and Web of Science will be searched for published studies. Sources to be searched for unpublished literature will include Google Scholar, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Shodhganga, MedNar, OpenGrey, and the World Health Organization. Two independent reviewers will assess titles, abstracts, and full-text papers against the inclusion criteria. A third reviewer will resolve any discrepancies. Standardized JBI appraisal tools will be used to critically appraise eligible studies. Two independent reviewers will extract data. Meta-analysis will be conducted for outcomes, where feasible. If a meta-analysis cannot be conducted, the findings will be reported in a narrative format. Certainty of evidence will be reported using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

ESLD is a critical health issue, characterized by various devitalizing symptoms that negatively impact quality of life for patients. Palliative care, which is a specialty used to alleviate pain and control other manifestations of the disease, has been suggested across various studies for the management of quality of life and symptom burden in ESLD patients.

This review will include studies focusing on the use of palliative care for adults (≥18 years) with ESLD. Papers that focus on the comparison between palliative care and usual care or placebo will be included.

PROSPERO CRD42024586855.