Training and Practice Patterns in Cancer Rehabilitation: A Survey of Physiatrists Specializing in Oncology Care.
Raman Sharma, Diana Molinares-Mejia, Ashish Khanna and 6 others
PMID 31140751WHAT IT FOUND
Most surveyed cancer rehabilitation physiatrists said fellowship training is needed, but only 35% prescribe opioids for cancer patients, and 68% say oncology teams refer more readily when rehab is onsite.
Key findings
01Just over half of respondents (54%, n = 20) agreed or strongly agreed that a cancer rehabilitation fellowship is necessary for physiatrists who plan to treat oncology patients/survivors.
02Only 35% (n = 13) agreed or strongly agreed that they prescribe opioids for cancer patients in their clinical setting, while 51% (n = 19) reported that they do not.
03Most respondents (68%, n = 25) said oncology teams were more receptive to referring patients for prehabilitation if services were embedded and onsite.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The sample was small and self-selected: 37 of 50 invited physicians responded, and the group was limited to members of a cancer rehabilitation consortium who had formally identified an interest in cancer rehabilitation. Respondents were skewed toward early career physicians (68%, n = 25), northeast practice (49%, n = 18), and academic medical centers (60%, n = 21), so views may not represent all physiatrists. The survey was internet only, with no paper option, and some invited physicians did not respond. The study reports perceptions about training, prescribing, referrals, and burnout, not measured patient outcomes or treatment effects.
Declared interests
The survey was created and conducted by members of the Cancer Rehabilitation Physician Consortium, part of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the fellowship and opioid percentages as evidence that cancer rehabilitation training improves patient outcomes. The paper reports views of a small self-selected group of physiatrists, not patient function or treatment effects.