Aims
To systematically evaluate the impact of multidisciplinary team (MDT) care on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) among patients with lung cancer, including quality of life, symptom burden, psychosocial wellbeing, and patient satisfaction.
Methods
We systematically searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and Scopus (up to March 2024) to identify studies comparing QoL outcomes in patients with lung cancer managed with and without MDT care. The review was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Risk of bias was assessed using the CASP tool, and findings were synthesized narratively. QoL outcomes were grouped into physical, functional, emotional, and social domains, and quantitative and qualitative data were synthesized narratively due to heterogeneity across studies.
Results
Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising a total of 10,341 patients, with 3760 in MDT groups and 6581 in non-MDT groups. The methodological quality of the studies varied, with 10 papers rated as moderate to high quality. The findings suggest that MDT care may contribute positively to emotional support, and physical well-being. Better patient satisfaction and communication in MDT settings.
Across the system, enablers like early referrals, structured assessments, and co-located clinics support timely, coordinated, and patient-centered care. These factors improved overall well-being, including better, emotional support, social engagement, and functional status. In contrast, barriers like limited resources, fragmented care, and psychosocial issues reduce care effectiveness.
Conclusions
MDT care appears to positively influence patient-reported outcomes for people with lung cancer, extending benefits beyond clinical management to quality of life, symptom control, and patient experience. These findings support the continued integration of coordinated, patient-centred MDT models within lung cancer services. Further high-quality prospective studies using standardised patient-reported outcome measures are needed to strengthen the evidence base and guide future implementation