Evaluating an online trauma-informed care training module for exercise oncology professionals: a mixed-method study...

Research highlights the importance of exercise in holistic cancer care, yet the prevalence of trauma among cancer patients underscores the need to integrate trauma-informed approaches into exercise oncology practice. This study explored the acceptability and potential efficacy of an online trauma-informed care training module designed for exercise oncology professionals. Fifty-five Australian exercise professionals with experience in oncology completed the module and evaluated it through an online survey, with a subset of 22 also participating in semi-structured interviews. Survey findings indicated high acceptability and strong potential for efficacy, assessed using the COM-B model of behaviour change. Interviews revealed that the engaging design and perceived value of the module supported its acceptability, while its role as a formalising framework, its influence on intention toward trauma-informed care, and its guidance for practical implementation shaped perceptions of efficacy. Overall, findings suggest that brief online training can consolidate existing knowledge and foster intentions to integrate trauma-informed care into exercise oncology services. Future development should prioritise scaffolding opportunities that support the transition from intention to practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Embedding trauma-informed principles into exercise services may enhance psychological safety, communication, and shared decision-making, thereby improving willingness to engage and persist with physical activity during and after treatment. Brief, scalable e-learning for clinicians could help standardise these practices across settings and support more equitable, person-centred exercise care-particularly for survivors with prior trauma or from marginalised groups.