Co-Designing Lung Cancer Rehabilitation Services for People Treated With Immunotherapy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Immunotherapy is a growing lung cancer treatment, but its integration with rehabilitation is unclear.
• Understanding patient and professional perspectives is crucial for effective cancer care.
• Limited information and access to rehabilitation pose challenges for lung cancer patients on immunotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore stakeholder views on lung cancer immunotherapy.
• To co-design a rehabilitation program for lung cancer patients during and after immunotherapy.
• To identify essential components and enablers for a successful rehabilitation program.

Main Methods:

• Experience-based co-design methodology utilized three online phases.
• Interviews and workshops involved patients, carers, and healthcare professionals.
• Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research guided transcript analysis.

Main Results:

• Immunotherapy side effects were generally manageable; however, rehabilitation information and access were limited.
• Healthcare professionals had insufficient training in immunotherapy, impacting rehabilitation delivery.
• Key rehabilitation enablers included expert supervision, routine discussions, and dedicated funding.

Conclusions:

• This research enhances understanding of the lung cancer immunotherapy journey.
• Key requirements for an effective rehabilitation program were identified through co-design.
• The study provides a foundation for implementing tailored rehabilitation for lung cancer patients on immunotherapy.