Dataset Information

Home-based functional walking program for advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care: a case series.

ABSTRACT: Although meta-analyses have demonstrated that physical activity can positively impact quality of life outcomes in early stage cancer patients, it is not yet known whether these benefits can be extended to patients with advanced cancer. In a previous pilot survey of patients with advanced cancer with a median survival of 104 days, participants felt willing and able to participate in a physical activity intervention, and reported a strong preference for walking and home-based programming. Here, we report on the initial development and feasibility of a home-based functional walking program in patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative care.Nine adult patients were recruited from outpatient palliative care clinics and palliative home care. A pilot intervention trial was conducted over a 6-week period. The McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL), Late Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI), Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), Seniors Fitness Test, four-test balance scale, and grip strength, were performed pre- and post-intervention. Participants wore activPAL™ accelerometers to monitor ambulatory activity levels.Of the nine recruited participants, three participants dropped out prior to baseline testing due to hospital admission and feeling overwhelmed, and three participants dropped out during the intervention due to severe symptoms. Only three participants completed the intervention program, pre- and post-intervention assessments: two reported improvements in total MQOL scores, yet all three shared an overall trend towards worsening symptom and total fatigue scores post-intervention. Two participants passed away within 90 days of completing the intervention.This case series demonstrates the challenges of a physical activity intervention in patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative care. Further feasibility research is required in this patient population.This study is registered under ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT00438620.

SUBMITTER: Lowe SS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3655875 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Home-based functional walking program for advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care: a case series.

Lowe Sonya S SS Watanabe Sharon M SM Baracos Vickie E VE Courneya Kerry S KS

BMC palliative care 20130511

<h4>Background</h4>Although meta-analyses have demonstrated that physical activity can positively impact quality of life outcomes in early stage cancer patients, it is not yet known whether these benefits can be extended to patients with advanced cancer. In a previous pilot survey of patients with advanced cancer with a median survival of 104 days, participants felt willing and able to participate in a physical activity intervention, and reported a strong preference for walking and home-based pr ...[more]

PMID: 23663868

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Project description:While home is frequently expressed as the favorite place of death (PoD) among terminally ill cancer patients, various factors affect the fulfillment of this wish. The determinants of the PoD of cancer patients in countries without healthcare system-integrated palliative and supportive care have not been studied before. This study aimed at identifying the predictors of the PoD of patients who suffer from advanced cancer by developing a reliable predictive model among who received home-based palliative care in Iran as a representative of the countries with isolated provision of palliative care services. In a cross-sectional study, electronic records of 4083 advanced cancer patients enrolled in the Iranian Cancer Control Center (MACSA) palliative homecare program, who died between February 2018 and February 2020 were retrieved. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis as well as subgroup analyses (location, sex, marital status, and tumor topography) was performed to identify the predictors of PoD. Of the 2398 cases included (mean age (SD) = 64.17 (14.45) year, 1269 (%52.9) male), 1216 (50.7%) patients died at home. Older age, presence and intensity of medical homecare in the last two weeks and registration in the Tehran site of the program were associated with dying at home (P < 0.05). Gynecological or hematological cancers, presence and intensity of the calls received from the remote palliative care unit in the last two weeks were predictors of death at the hospital (p < 0.05). The model was internally and externally validated (AUC = 0.723 (95% CI = 0.702-0.745; P < 0.001) and AUC = 0.697 (95% CI = 0.631-0.763; P < 0.001) respectively). Our model highlights the demographic, illness-related and environmental determinants of the PoD in communities with patchy provision of palliative care. It also urges policymakers and service providers to identify and take the local determinant of the place of death into account to match the goals of palliative and supportive services with the patient preferences.

Project description:ObjectivesTo investigate the experiential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with non-COVID, life-threatening disease and their family carers.DesignAn interpretative qualitative design informed by phenomenological hermeneutics and based on data from in-depth interviews, performed between June and September 2020.SettingPatients receiving specialised palliative home care and their family carers living in Sweden.Participants22 patients (male/female 11/11) and 17 carers (male/female 5/12) aged 50 years and older. All the patients received specialised palliative home care and most were diagnosed with cancer.Inclusion criteriaaged 18 years or older, diagnosed with an incurable life-threatening, non-COVID disease, sufficient strength to participate and capacity to provide informed consent. Participants were selected through a combination of convenient and consecutive sampling.ResultsThe significance of the pandemic for both patients and carers showed a continuum from being minimally affected in comparison to the severe underlying disease to living in isolation with constant fear of becoming infected and falling ill with COVID-19, which some likened to torture.The imposed restrictions on social contact due to the pandemic were particularly palpable for this group of people with a non-COVID-19, life-limiting condition, as it was said to steal valuable moments of time that had already been measured.Most patients and carers found access to specialised palliative home care was maintained despite the pandemic. This care was of paramount importance for their sense of security and was often their sole visiting social contact.ConclusionsIn the pandemic situation, highly accessible support from healthcare and social care at home is particularly important to create security for both patients and carers. Thus, to provide appropriate support, it is important for healthcare and social care personnel to be aware of the great diversity of reactions patients in palliative care and their carers may have to a pandemic threat.

Dataset Information

Home-based functional walking program for advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care: a case series.

Publications

Home-based functional walking program for advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care: a case series.

Similar Datasets

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