A.M.S. de Hoop1,2, K. Jäger1, R. Pieters2, K. Valkenet3,1, C. Veenhof1,3
1University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Research Group Innovations in Movement Care, Utrecht, Netherlands, 2University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Research Group Innovative Testing in Life Sciences and Chemistry, Utrecht, Netherlands, 3University Medical Center Utrecht, Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy Sciences and Sports, Utrecht, Netherlands
Background: The physiotherapist is a movement specialist who has traditionally focused on the musculoskeletal system. A recently fast developing field of research is exercise immunology, i.e. the study of the effects of exercise on the immune system. This subject is especially relevant for oncology physiotherapists, who often treat patients undergoing severe immunosuppression as result of cancer treatment. To optimize oncology physiotherapy practice, it is relevant to investigate the current thoughts and wishes of oncology physiotherapists regarding exercise immunology during cancer treatment. This knowledge is needed as first step to incorporate exercise immunology in the oncology physiotherapy practice.
Purpose: This study aimed to assess the thoughts and wishes of oncology physiotherapists regarding exercise immunology in oncology physical therapy.
Methods: For this qualitative research, semi-structured interviews were performed with Dutch primary care and hospital based oncology physiotherapists. Participants were recruited via purposeful sampling. Interviews took place between September 2021 and March 2022. Audio-recordings were manually transcribed and analyzed via inductive thematic analysis.
Results: Emerging themes were
1) role of the oncology physiotherapist within cancer care,
2) symptoms related to decreased immune functioning,
3) negative and positive influences of lifestyle factors on immune functioning,
4) adaptations in training parameters and training setting during physical therapy treatment,
5) immune functioning as treatment outcome and
6) current and future measurement instruments.
According to the participants, knowledge regarding exercise-immunology was a relevant topic for oncology physiotherapists. Immune functioning is not a treatment outcome yet. Participants associated symptoms such as fever, general malaise and prolonged recovery time with limited immune functioning and sometimes these symptoms lead to adaptations in training parameters or training setting during the physical therapy treatment. Participants felt that their knowledge regarding exercise-immunology was limited, and were eager to learn more about it. The ability to measure immune functioning was expected to be a facilitator to integrate this knowledge into clinical reasoning.
1) role of the oncology physiotherapist within cancer care,
2) symptoms related to decreased immune functioning,
3) negative and positive influences of lifestyle factors on immune functioning,
4) adaptations in training parameters and training setting during physical therapy treatment,
5) immune functioning as treatment outcome and
6) current and future measurement instruments.
According to the participants, knowledge regarding exercise-immunology was a relevant topic for oncology physiotherapists. Immune functioning is not a treatment outcome yet. Participants associated symptoms such as fever, general malaise and prolonged recovery time with limited immune functioning and sometimes these symptoms lead to adaptations in training parameters or training setting during the physical therapy treatment. Participants felt that their knowledge regarding exercise-immunology was limited, and were eager to learn more about it. The ability to measure immune functioning was expected to be a facilitator to integrate this knowledge into clinical reasoning.
Conclusions: The growing research area exercise-immunology has sparked the interest of oncology physiotherapists. However, immune functioning is not a standard outcome measure yet and oncology physiotherapists acknowledge the need for education regarding this subject. The results of the current study provide guidance for potential future integration of immune functioning in clinical reasoning of oncology physiotherapists.
Implications:
- This study provides future directions for education for oncology physiotherapists regarding exercise-immunology.
- Research in the field of exercise-immunology should include practical applications for oncology physiotherapists’ daily practice.
Funding acknowledgements: not applicable
Keywords:
Oncology physiotherapy
Exercise-immunology
Clinical reasoning
Oncology physiotherapy
Exercise-immunology
Clinical reasoning
Topics:
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Education: continuing professional development
Disability & rehabilitation
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Education: continuing professional development
Disability & rehabilitation
Did this work require ethics approval? No
Reason: There was no sensitive data collected for this study
This was an observational study, there were no behavioural restrictions or behavioural requests.
Participants were oncology physiotherapists, who did not have a dependency-relationship to the research team.
The research did not cover the scope of the Dutch Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO)
This was an observational study, there were no behavioural restrictions or behavioural requests.
Participants were oncology physiotherapists, who did not have a dependency-relationship to the research team.
The research did not cover the scope of the Dutch Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO)
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
