Psychometric properties of self-report instruments for assessing self-care in patients with oncological diseases: protocol for a COSMIN-based systematic review

Abstract Background: The topic of self-care in cancer has garnered increased attention from researchers and clinicians over the years. This has prompted the development and testing of several instruments to capture the multidimensional nature of the self-care construct in cancer patients. Several self-report instruments are available in the literature; however, which instrument exhibits the best reliability and validity remains unclear. Objective: The aim of this protocol is to identify all available instruments developed for measuring self-care behaviors in adult cancer patients and critically appraise their psychometric properties. Methods: This systematic review will follow the COnsensusbased Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidelines. PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases will be searched for relevant articles on the topic. Studies testing the psychometric properties of self-report instruments assessing self-care behaviors in adult cancer patients, published in English, Italian, or Spanish, will be included. Two independent reviewers will assess the eligibility of the studies and extract the data. Risk of bias will be evaluated using the COSMIN Risk of Bias Checklist, and the quality of the results will be assessed based on specific COSMIN criteria. Discussion: A thorough and critical evaluation of all available evidence for instruments measuring self-care in patients with cancer might have both strong clinical and research implications. The results of this review could drive healthcare providers in the selection of the most appropriate assessment tool for detecting and monitoring the self-care levels of this population. On the other hand, the results may underline the necessity of validating new instruments.