The Effect of Occupational Therapy Services on Functional Mobility for Patients with Cancer in Acute Care Settings

To investigate the effect of occupational therapy (OT) services on functional mobility status for patients with cancer in an acute care setting.

Secondary data were used in a retrospective, observational study.

The setting was a National Cancer Institute (NCI) hospital in Richmond, Virginia.

Patients aged 18-93 years of age (51.6% female and 48.4% identifying as male) with 6 cancer diagnoses (breast, blood/hematologic, colorectal/gastrointestinal, gynecologic, lung/respiratory, and prostate/genitourinary) admitted to an NCI over 5 years were included for analysis. There were 1949 patients included for analysis in a paired t test, and 448 patients analyzed in an adjusted linear regression based upon complete case analysis.

The study analyzed the receipt and intensity of OT services.

Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care (AM-PAC) 6-Clicks Basic Mobility scores were analyzed at the time of admission to therapy services and prior to discharge.

The patients' final recorded AM-PAC 6-Clicks Basic Mobility score was statistically significantly higher than the first session's AM-PAC 6-Clicks Basic Mobility score as determined by a paired t test analysis. In a multiple linear regression model adjusted for patient social and demographic factors, we found that for every additional OT service provided, there was an increase in the AM-PAC 6-Clicks Basic Mobility change score; the difference, however, was not statistically significant.

There was a statistically significant increase in functional mobility independence for patients with cancer who received OT services in an unadjusted analysis and a non-significant increase in an adjusted analysis of patients' functional mobility. Findings suggest OT services for patients with cancer may influence functional mobility independence.