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Rehabilitation pathways in adult brain tumor patients in the first 12 months of disease. A retrospective analysis of services utilization in 719 patients

Supportive Care in Cancer volume 24, pages 4801–4806 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

Although previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of rehabilitation programs for brain tumor (BT) patients and the positive impact on quality of life of functional gain, there are few studies focusing on specific rehabilitation management of brain tumor patients.

Methods

With the aim to evaluate the pattern of rehabilitation care and health services utilization in patients with brain tumor, we retrospectively analyzed administrative data on a large cohort of brain tumor patients diagnosed during the period 2008–2009 in the Lazio Region. Pattern of rehabilitation care was analyzed during a follow-up of 12 months after diagnosis. Data for this study were gathered and linked from two sources: (1) hospital discharge records stored into the Lazio Regional Health System database and (2) rehabilitation pathways database including inpatient and outpatient interventions files.

Results

We identified 789 patients with an ICD-9-CM code of 191.** in the Regional Health System databases in the study period. Among 719 patients included in this study, 92 (12.8 %) were treated with inpatient rehabilitation program, 22 (3.1 %) received an outpatient personalized program with intensive rehabilitation plan, and 85 (11.8 %) received outpatients rehabilitation interventions.

Conclusions

Our retrospective analysis on the rehabilitation service utilization in a large cohort of BT patients shows that a limited number of patients received rehabilitation interventions during the first year after diagnosis. Nevertheless, the rehabilitation needs in BT patients are largely unmet and the lack of defined physical and cognitive rehabilitation strategies may negatively affect the functional independence and the short- and long-term quality of life.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health funds (ON-REHAB project).

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Affiliations

  1. Neuro-Oncology Unit, “Regina Elena” National Cancer Institute, Via Chianesi, 53, 00144, Rome, Italy

    Andrea Pace, Veronica Villani, Cristiano Parisi, Stefano Di Felice & Margaux Lamaro

  2. Psychooncology Unit, “Regina Elena” National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy

    Chiara Falcicchio, Alessandro Bonucci & Patrizia Pugliese

  3. National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (NIHMP), Rome, Italy

    Anteo di Napoli

  4. Health Department, Regione Lazio, Rome, Italy

    Anteo di Napoli & Domenico Di Lallo

Authors
  1. Andrea Pace
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  2. Veronica Villani
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  3. Cristiano Parisi
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  4. Stefano Di Felice
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  5. Margaux Lamaro
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  6. Chiara Falcicchio
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  7. Alessandro Bonucci
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  8. Patrizia Pugliese
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  9. Anteo di Napoli
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  10. Domenico Di Lallo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea Pace.

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Pace, A., Villani, V., Parisi, C. et al. Rehabilitation pathways in adult brain tumor patients in the first 12 months of disease. A retrospective analysis of services utilization in 719 patients. Support Care Cancer 24, 4801–4806 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3333-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3333-9

Keywords

  • Brain tumor
  • Rehabilitation
  • Quality of life