The Effect of Telephone Follow-Up on Drug Compliance in Cancer Patients Using Oral Anticancer Drugs: A Systematic Review

Aim: Along with the increase in the incidence of cancer, treatment methods have also been developed. One of these developments is the increase of oral forms of chemotherapeutic drugs. In this study, it was aimed to systematically investigate the effect of telephone follow-up on drug compliance in cancer patients using oral anticancer drugs. Material and Methods: 4858 studies published between January 2007 and January 2017 were screened in order to determine the effect of telephone follow-up on drug compliance in cancer patients using oral anticancer drugs. Seven studies that met the research criteria were examined. The selected researches were evaluated according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical evaluation lists according to their type. Results: The quality of the seven studies (prospective study: 1, descriptive study: 2, cohort study: 1, randomize controlled study: 1,semi-experimental study:2) was moderate.In the articles reviewed, it was determined that the factors affecting the drug compliance of the patients and the methods for measuring compliance were unclear and uncommon.In addition, studies have shown that drug compliance rates vary depending on the patient sample, type of drug, followup period, evaluation scale, and compliance calculations. Conclusion: There is limited evidencefor improving drug compliance in patients receiving oral chemotherapy by telephone follow-up. Therefore high quality studies are needed in the future. The healthcare team should develop standard procedures for routine patient monitoring for patient education, reviewing and documenting treatment plans, and compliance with oral chemotherapy drug use.