An Interprofessional Palliative Care Oncology Rehabilitation Program: Effects on Function and Predictors of Program Completion

Abstract

ConclusionsPatients living with advanced cancers who underwent the interprofessional prp experienced significant improvement in functioning across several domains. Program completion can be predicted by a normal level of C-reactive protein.

Multimodal cancer care research

“…It is unsurprising that many aspects of quality of life improve for patients working with multimodal teams, as documented by Gagnon et al 8 and Chasen et al 9 in this issue of Current Oncology. Improvement of this kind has consistently been demonstrated in palliative care programs, and the multimodal teams being spoken of are, in reality, based on palliative care principles.…”

Rehabilitation and Exercise Oncology Program: Translating Research into a Model of Care

“…Some link directly to cancer centres 25,26,29 ; others have evolved primarily in a community setting 27,28 and focus on the post-treatment population. Human resources include either a physiotherapist 25,29 or an exercise specialist 26,27 , but few have both 28 . Significant variability in eligibility criteria and duration and content of programs is also observed in Canada.…”

“…Of the identified programs, 50% were located in hospital outpatient departments and were limited in scope largely to specific tumour sites. Great variability in the cancer-specific exercise programs available in Canada has also been reported, with little standardization of the services provided and a wide range of medical and allied care professionals coordinating and implementing the programs [24][25][26][27][28][29] . Some link directly to cancer centres 25,26,29 ; others have evolved primarily in a community setting 27,28 and focus on the post-treatment population.…”

“…Great variability in the cancer-specific exercise programs available in Canada has also been reported, with little standardization of the services provided and a wide range of medical and allied care professionals coordinating and implementing the programs [24][25][26][27][28][29] . Some link directly to cancer centres 25,26,29 ; others have evolved primarily in a community setting 27,28 and focus on the post-treatment population. Human resources include either a physiotherapist 25,29 or an exercise specialist 26,27 , but few have both 28 .…”

Early Palliative Care: Taking Ownership and Creating the Conditions

“…Of particular note in the "bow-tie" model is that it accommodates rehabilitation and survivorship. Palliative care rehabilitation programs for patients with palliative care needs who are not at end of life have highlighted the "early" palliative care model and its accompanying benefits, particularly through maintenance of functional status, mobility, and quality of life 6 . Whose responsibility is it, then, to provide palliative care?…”