Use of Photo Methods in Research Studies with Cancer Survivors and Their Caregivers: A Scoping Review

Abstract Purpose: Photo methods such as photo-elicitation and photovoice have traditionally been implemented as knowledge-generation techniques; however, they have also been conceptualized as interventions. We performed a scoping review to document the use of photo methods in studies of cancer, to describe participant populations such as cancer survivors versus caregivers, types of cancers involved, and to identify opportunities for future directions.Methods: An a priori search strategy was implemented across health-related databases with the following inclusion criteria: 1) study participants were diagnosed with cancer and/or were caregivers of those with cancer; 2) study participants were asked to take and/or respond to photographs as part of the study protocol; 3) articles were published in peer-reviewed journals; 4) articles were written in English. Results: Eighty non-duplicative articles were identified; of these, 30 articles describing 24 individual studies were included for review. All but one (95.8%) of the studies utilized photovoice solely as a knowledge-generation technique without participant outcome measurement or analysis. Across all included studies, participants were largely women with breast cancer; other demographic and cancer-related variables (e.g., race, cancer stage) were not consistently reported. Caregivers were included in 37.5% of studies. Conclusion: Photo methods are an effective method for eliciting rich qualitative data in cancer populations; however, there are missed opportunities in their lack of use for intervention and systemic change. In addition, inconsistent reporting of demographics and cancer characteristics limit our ability to synthesize these data across studies.