Rehabilitation's Vital Role in Pediatric Cancer Care: A Mixed Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Rehabilitation, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy, aims to improve function and quality of life (QOL) but is not consistently integrated into pediatric oncology care.
• This study addresses the need for better integration of rehabilitation services for children with cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rehabilitation information sheet for pediatric cancer patients and their families.
• To incorporate the lived experiences of childhood cancer survivors (CCS) and their parents/caregivers into the development of this resource.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study, primarily qualitative, was conducted at two US children's hospitals.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 CCS (aged 12-25) and 33 parents/caregivers.
• Findings informed the creation of a rehabilitation information sheet, which was then reviewed by CCS, caregivers, and clinicians (n=36) via electronic survey.

Main Results:

• Participants reported that rehabilitation promoted normalcy, self-confidence, and mental health during cancer treatment.
• Key barriers included treatment side effects, insurance issues, and scheduling, while clear communication and consistent providers facilitated engagement.
• The developed information sheet was highly rated for understandability (99%) and appropriate content amount (86%).

Conclusions:

• Childhood cancer survivors and their parents/caregivers highly value rehabilitation services.
• There is a clear need to integrate rehabilitation more effectively into the comprehensive care of pediatric cancer patients.