TITLE:
A Comprehensive Review of Factors Influencing the Uncertainty of Diagnosis in Patients with Undetermined Fever
AUTHORS:
Jie Chen, Lili Li, Shuxian Jiang, Pingping Zhuang, Jing Liu
KEYWORDS:
Fever of Unknown Origin, Disease Uncertainty, Influencing Factors, Scoping Review
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.16 No.1,
January
20,
2026
ABSTRACT: Objective: To integrate the factors influencing disease uncertainty in patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO), thereby providing evidence for developing evidence-based intervention strategies. Methods: Guided by the scoping review framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley, we systematically searched Chinese and English databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI. Following screening and data extraction, the evidence was synthesized using thematic analysis. Results: Nine studies were included in this review. The findings indicated moderate levels of disease uncertainty among patients with FUO. The influencing factors encompassed dimensions of disease characteristics and course, personal cognition and psychology, sociodemographic and economic factors, as well as healthcare and information support. Conclusion: Disease uncertainty in these patients arises from the interplay of multidimensional factors.