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The challenge of timing: a qualitative study on clinician and patient perspectives about implementing exercise-based rehabilitation in an acute cancer treatment setting

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Abstract

Objective

Assess the barriers and facilitators to implementing an exercise-based rehabilitation program in an acute setting for cancer survivors receiving treatment.

Methods

A qualitative study using individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups was completed with 25 clinicians working in oncology and 9 patients receiving cancer treatment who were purposively sampled at a tertiary hospital. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim with coding completed independently by two reviewers and confirmed by a third reviewer, followed by thematic analysis.

Results

The main theme was finding the ‘right time’ for rehabilitation. Exercise-based rehabilitation was seen as important to deliver in the acute cancer treatment setting but challenging due to patient factors such as feeling overwhelmed and health service constraints. Barriers and facilitators to acute exercise-based rehabilitation were raised under four sub-themes: attitudes, knowledge, convenience and resources. There was agreement among both patients and clinicians around the main themes.

Conclusion

Implementing exercise-based rehabilitation in the acute cancer treatment setting is viewed as necessary but challenging to implement. Positive attitudes towards exercise-based cancer rehabilitation services from staff and patients in this study are at odds with current levels of service delivery. This study provides evidence for why this might be the case, and can be used to inform the design of future models of rehabilitation in the acute treatment setting to meet the needs of this patient group.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Peter Williams and the Eastern Health oncology staff for their assistance with participant recruitment.

Funding

This work was supported by funding from the North Eastern Metropolitan Integrated Cancer Services.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia

    Amy M. Dennett & Katherine E. Harding

  2. Eastern Health Allied Health Clinical Research Office, Level 2, 5 Arnold St, Box Hill, VIC, Australia

    Amy M. Dennett, Katherine E. Harding & Melissa S. Reed

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  1. Amy M. Dennett
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Correspondence to Amy M. Dennett.

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The authors have full control of all primary data which is available upon request. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Dennett, A.M., Harding, K.E. & Reed, M.S. The challenge of timing: a qualitative study on clinician and patient perspectives about implementing exercise-based rehabilitation in an acute cancer treatment setting. Support Care Cancer 28, 6035–6043 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05436-7

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