JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Cancer is a significant public health issue worldwide. Treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy often cause psychological and physiological side effects, affecting patients' ability to function and their quality of life. Physical activity is a crucial component of cancer rehabilitation, improving physical function, quality of life, and reducing cancer-related fatigue. However, many patients face barriers to accessing cancer rehabilitation due to socioeconomic factors, transportation issues, and time constraints. Telerehabilitation, can potentially overcome these barriers by delivering rehabilitation remotely

Objective:

To identify how telemedicine is used for rehabilitation of patients with cancer.

Methods:

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) comprised 47.6% of the studies, with feasibility studies at 33.3% and usability studies at 19.0%. Most studies had sample sizes of 50 or fewer (57.1%). Participants were generally aged 65 or younger (81.0%), with a balanced gender distribution. Organ-specific cancers were the focus of 66.7% of the studies, while 28.6% included post-treatment patients. Web-based systems were the most used technology (61.9%), followed by mobile applications (23.8%) and phone call/SMS-based systems (42.9%). Exercise programs were mainly home-based (90.5%) and included aerobic (90.5%), resistance (61.9%), and flexibility training (33.3%). Outcomes included improvements in functional capacity, cognitive functioning, and quality of life (47.6%); reductions in pain and hospital length of stay; and enhancements in fatigue, physical and emotional well-being, and anxiety. Positive effects on feasibility (14.3%), acceptability (38.1%), and cost-effectiveness (9.5%) were also noted. Functional outcomes were frequently assessed (71.4%), with tools like the 6-Minute Walk Test and grip strength tests.

Results:

Initially 37 studies were found but only 26 were considered for inclusion on this study. After a detailed analysis, 21 studies were included for this scoping review. Most of the studies concluded that telehealth system based on physical exercise were effective to improve function, quality of life, pain, satisfaction and muscle strength.

Conclusions:

Telerehabilitation for cancer patients is beneficial and feasible, with diverse approaches in study design, technologies, exercises, and outcomes. Future research should focus on developing standardized methodologies, incorporating objective measures, and exploring emerging technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence to optimize telerehabilitation interventions. Addressing these areas can enhance clinical practice and improve outcomes for patients undergoing remote rehabilitation.