Background:
Cancer rehabilitation is an evidence-based practice that helps people with cancer to obtain and maintain the highest possible physical, social, psychological, and vocational functioning within the limits created by cancer and its treatments. Data from the United States demonstrates 60-90% of individuals impacted by cancer have at least one specialised rehabilitation need and 40% of patients will experience moderate-severe physical function impairment at some point along the cancer trajectory. However, less than 2% of cancer rehabilitation needs are addressed. We currently have little data from Ireland describing the burden of rehabilitation needs and functional impairment across the cancer trajectory.
Research Question:
To describe the prevalence of rehabilitation needs in across the cancer care trajectory in people living with and beyond cancer in a large cancer centre in Ireland, and to examine predictors of impairment by demographic and clinical parameters.
Methods:
This study will use a cross-sectional design. People living with and beyond cancer attending outpatient oncology and surgical oncology clinics at St James’s Hospital will be invited to participate. Recruitment will take place during a set 2-week period in June 2025 and all clinics scheduled during that time will be attended in order to capture all cancer types, stages and phases of the treatment trajectory. After providing informed consent, patients will self-report demographic and clinical information and complete a series of validated patient reported outcomes capturing physical and psychosocial rehabilitation outcomes (e.g. the MacMillan Health Needs Assessment and the PROMIS-Physical Functioning Assessment). Data analysis will be completed using SPSS. Demographic, clinical and outcome variables will be described using descriptive analysis. Regression analysis will be used to examine the relationships and predictors between demographic and clinical characteristics and levels of rehabilitation impairment.