HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS’ EXPERIENCES OF USING THE ACTIVITY BOARD AS A TOOL FOR POSTOPERATIVE MOBILIZATION FOR PATIENTS AFTER ABDOMINAL CANCER SURGERY

P. Karlsson^1,2, A. Porserud^1,3, M. Nygren-Bonnier^1,3, M. Hagströmer^1,3,4

Background: Surgery is the most common treatment for cancer and early mobilization at the ward is considered an important factor to minimize complications and shorten hospital stay after surgery. The Activity board (Träningstavlan® Physctec) is a tool designed to support mobilization in hospital settings. Essentially, a whiteboard informing patients and healthcare professionals about the physical activity prescribed by a physiotherapist. The Activity board has been shown to effectively support postoperative mobilization for cancer patients. However, user experience and perceived usefulness is unknown.

Purpose: To guide future implementation of the Activity board in healthcare, knowledge of user experience is important. Therefore, this study aims do describe healthcare professionals’ experiences of using the Activity board as a tool for postoperative mobilization for patients who have undergone abdominal surgery for cancer.

Methods: Nineteen healthcare professionals (six nurses, four physiotherapists and nine assistant nurses) with experience of working with the Activity board at the Karolinska Hospital, Sweden were recruited. The informants where divided into four focus groups and interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, then analysed using inductive content analysis.

Results: Preliminary results show an overarching theme, ´A useful tool facilitating daily work at the ward and promoting patient empowerment. The Activity board is described as a great source of information and a helpful tool to promote patients´ postoperative mobilization, making daily work at the ward easier. The informants also experience how the Activity board seem to have a positive impact on patients, promoting them to be more active and take charge of their own rehabilitation. The theme is supported by two main categories representing two different perspectives described by the informants. The first one, ´Practical experience, represent the informants own experience of working with the board. The second main category, ´Conceptions of the Activity board´s impact on patients, represent the informant’s experiences and perceptions of how patients are affected by using the Activity board.

Conclusion(s): The Activity board is perceived as a useful tool with great potential, making daily work at the ward easier for healthcare professionals as well as having a positive impact on patients, promoting patients to take an active part in their rehabilitation process and encouraging patient empowerment. However, routines and education seem to be important in order for healthcare professionals to use the board properly and experience its potential benefits.

Implications: The Activity board could be a valuable tool for physiotherapist to structure early mobilization after surgery and increase patient adherence to a postoperative mobilization regime. The results of this study could help guide future implementation of the Activity board in a hospital setting.

Funding, acknowledgements: Swedish Research Council
ALF Medicine, Stockholm County Council
Doctoral school in healthcare science, Karolinska Institutet

Keywords: Activity promotion, Cancer rehabilitation, Postoperative mobilization

Topic: Oncology, HIV & palliative care

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: Regional board of ethics in Stockholm, Sweden

Committee: Regional board of ethics in Stockholm, Sweden

Ethics number: 2012/2214-31/4 and 2017/2349-32