A. Porserud1,2, M. Lundberg1,3, J. Eriksson2, M. Nygren Bonnier1,2, M. Hagströmer1,4
1Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Physiotherapy, Stockholm, Sweden, 2Karolinska University Hospital, Allied Health Professionals Function, Medical unit Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, Stockholm, Sweden, 3University of Gothenburg, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg, Sweden, 4Region Stockholm, Academic Primary Health Care Centre, Stockholm, Sweden
Background: Patients who are treated in hospital are often immobilised most of the time, which can result in complications. The Activity Board Träningstavlan® Physctec is a tool where the physiotherapist and patient together agree on daily goals for mobilisation. It is an effective tool to enhance mobilisation after major abdominal cancer surgery. To implement the Activity Board in health care, knowledge of the patients’ experiences of the board is important.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe patients’ experiences of using the Activity Board, after having abdominal cancer surgery.
Methods: Fifteen individual interviews were conducted with patients who had abdominal surgery due to colorectal, ovarian or urinary bladder cancer. The patients, with a mean age of 67.7 (40-86) years, had all used the Activity Board postoperatively. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and then analysed as inductive content analysis.
Results: Preliminary findings show one overarching theme that ran through all of the interviews, referring to “Enabling participation facilitates empowerment over rehabilitation”. The theme was supported by five categories; “Design and instructions necessary to understand the Activity Board”, which reflects to the usability of the board. “Knowledge gain”, includes thoughts on knowledge, in relation to the Activity Board. “Autonomy and commitment”, relates to how the Activity Board could either facilitate or aggravate the participants’ autonomy in relation to their activity behavior. “Using behavioral supportive techniques”, includes different aspects of the Activity Board that may support the participants to take active part in the rehabilitation process. Also, “The possibility to influence their own care”, relates to what different mental and physical ways the Activity Board may assist with after surgery.
Conclusion(s): Findings from this study suggest that patients who use an Activity Board after having abdominal cancer surgery can experience the board to be useful, and a tool that facilitates postoperative rehabilitation.
Implications: The Activity Board can strengthen the patients to actively participate in the rehabilitation, together with the medical team. Also, the Activity board is easy to understand and should without difficulty be possible to implement as part of physiotherapy treatment in hospital settings.
Funding, acknowledgements: ALF medicine, The Swedish Research Council
Keywords: Rehabilitation, Participation, Qualitative
Topic: Disability & rehabilitation
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: Karolinska Institutet
Committee: The Regional Ethical Committee of Stockholm
Ethics number: Registration number 2012/2214-31/4, 2016/484-32 and 2017/2349-32.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
