Speaker
Description
Background: The MOVE-ONKO Project aims to design and evaluate a comprehensive care pathway for cancer patients in need of exercise therapy. The goal is to develop, implement, and sustain a structured care pathway to gain cancer patient access into exercise therapy options.
Methods: This two-phase exploratory study used a mixed-methods design. Evaluation of the comprehensive exercise therapy care pathways was guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and the RE-AIM framework. Reach was defined as the number of patients accessing cancer centres, enrolling in the exercise therapy pathway, and receiving referrals to exercise programmes. Semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals contextualised care settings, while surveys of key informants collected organisational data on patient flow relevant to the reach dimension.
Results: In 2022, the average patient flow was 5,315 (± 2,721.9) cancer patients receiving medical care. Of these, 118.4 (± 91.8) received exercise counselling, and 88.3 (± 79.5) were referred to oncology exercise interventions. In 2023, the average patient flow increased to 6,836.4 (± 2,971.0) patients, with 168.3 (± 136.6) receiving exercise counselling and 111.4 (± 76.2) referred to exercise interventions. Breast cancer was the most common diagnosis in both years. In 2024, MOVE-ONKO was implemented. At baseline, 353 patients were enrolled, of whom 36.3% had breast cancer and 8.1% lung cancer; other diagnoses each accounted for less than 5%. Overall, an increase in average patient flow was observed over the two years. Qualitative findings indicate that younger and female patients show greater openness towards supportive care and well-being and are therefore more likely to seek exercise counselling independently.
Conclusion: With considerable individual effort, a small number of motivated patients can currently be reached. Without adequate funding and governmental support, equitable and comprehensive patient access to exercise therapy will remain uncertain. Thus, the uptake of a structured care path is needed.
Keywords
Exercise therapy, Reach, Oncology, Networks
| Abstract submitters declaration | yes |
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| Conflict of Interest & Ethical Approval | yes |
