Research Appraisalother

Cancer patients' experiences of "time toxicity": a qualitative meta-synthesis

Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in CancerLi, Ziyi, Liu, Yanli, Zhang, Jiazhuo et al.28 May 2026DOI

Clinical Snapshot

75CEBM

Evidence: Moderateother

PICO Framework

P — Population	Cancer patients across various cancer types and treatment stages
I — Intervention	Not applicable (qualitative meta-synthesis exploring experiences)
C — Comparator	Not applicable (qualitative synthesis)
O — Outcomes	Experiences of time toxicity including sources, impacts, coping strategies, and positive experiences

Bottom Line

This qualitative meta-synthesis of 10 studies identifies 'time toxicity' as a significant burden for cancer patients, encompassing disrupted daily routines, psychological distress, and social role impacts from treatment-related time demands. The synthesis reveals four key domains: diverse sources of time toxicity (appointments, waiting, travel), negative impacts on quality of life, patient coping strategies, and some positive treatment experiences. While the methodology appears sound using JBI criteria, the small number of included studies and limited methodological detail in the abstract limit confidence in findings. The concept of time toxicity represents an important patient-reported outcome that warrants attention in cancer service design. Australian oncology services could benefit from these insights when redesigning care pathways to minimize time burdens, though specific implementation strategies require further research. The findings support arguments for integrated care models and patient-centered scheduling approaches already emerging in Australian cancer care policy.

Evidence: Moderate

Key Findings

P Value: Not applicable for qualitative synthesis
Effect Size: Not applicable for qualitative synthesis
Primary Outcome: Four synthesized findings: multidimensional sources of time toxicity, negative impacts, coping strategies, and positive treatment experiences
Nnt Or Sensitivity: 41 themes extracted from 10 studies, synthesized into 11 categories
Confidence Interval: Not applicable for qualitative synthesis

Clinical Application

Findings applicable to inform service redesign and patient support interventions Highly relevant to Australian cancer care given similar healthcare delivery challenges; could inform Cancer Australia guidelines and state cancer service planning Cancer patients across treatment settings experiencing time-related burdens from healthcare interactions

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and synthesize qualitative studies on cancer patients' experiences of time toxicity, providing evidence to inform policy making. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, and other databases for qualitative studies on cancer patients' experiences of time toxicity, from database inception to November 2025. Included studies were appraised using the 2016 edition of the JBI quality appraisal criteria for qualitative research from the Joanna Briggs Institute (Australia). Results were synthesized using an aggregation approach for meta-synthesis. RESULTS: Ten studies were included. Forty-one themes were extracted, which were grouped into 11 categories and further consolidated into 4 synthesized findings: (1) multidimensional sources of time toxicity; (2) negative impacts of time toxicity; (3) coping strategies adopted to address time toxicity; and (4) positive experiences from investing time in treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Time toxicity has multidimensional effects on cancer patients' daily rhythms, psychological states, and social roles, and requires coordinated attention from healthcare professionals, society, and policy makers. Future efforts should build systemic support through integrating healthcare resources, optimizing service processes, and strengthening social support to reduce patients' time toxicity.

References

1.Li, Z., Liu, Y., Zhang, J., Duan, J., Xiu, W., Zhang, W., Zhang, L., & Yang, H. (2024). Cancer patients' experiences of "time toxicity": a qualitative meta-synthesis. Supportive Care in Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-024-01514-9

Share:X LinkedIn

Related Research

Systematic Review

15CEBM

Cancer medicine

Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

1 Aug 2026

other

65CEBM

Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden)

User perceptions of machine learning models as decision support for colorectal cancer multidisciplinary team conferences (AID-SIM-2): a qualitative simulation study.