A systematic review and meta-analysis on palliative care service utilization and its associated factors among adult cancer patients in Ethiopia

Background Palliative care (PC) is essential for helping cancer patients manage pain, exhaustion, despair, and other crippling symptoms. It also facilitates end-of-life planning and collaborative decision-making. However, studies in Ethiopia are scattered, and there is no thorough synthesis of the literature regarding utilization of PC service and its associated determinants among adult cancer patients. Objective This study seeks to close this important gap by assessing the pooled size of PC service utilization among adult cancer patients in Ethiopia and determining its associated characteristics. Methods The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Guideline was followed in conducting the investigation. A detailed search until 31 February 2025 was conducted on Pub Med, HINARI, Goggle Scholar, EMBASE, CINAHL, Science Direct, and Scopus. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) rating method was used to evaluate the quality of the extracted studies. The retrieved data was analyzed using the statistical program STATA v.17. The pooled analysis was estimated using weighted inverse variance random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using I 2 statistics. Subgroup analysis was carried out to look in to the reason for heterogeneity. Result The combined percentage of Ethiopian adult cancer patients who used PC services was 45.11% (95% CI: 35.06, 55.16). The Sidama region had the greatest utilization rate at 51.51% (95% CI: 29.66, 73.36). Higher use of palliative care was substantially correlated with college or university education (OR = 2.56, 95% CI: 1.31, 5.02). Conclusion PC service utilization in Ethiopia was found to be below 50%, highlighting a critical need for intervention. Higher educational attainment increases the likelihood of using these services, underscoring differences impacted by sociodemographic factors. Therefore, healthcare professionals and policymakers should focus on several methods to enhance the utilization of PC services in Ethiopia. PROSPERO registration number CRD42024554748.