Knowledge regarding cancer-related fatigue: a survey of physical therapists and individuals diagnosed with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common side effect and remains under-diagnosed. Screening of CRF by physical therapists (PTs) and patient perspectives of their experiences has not been comprehensively examined. PURPOSE: To survey PTs to understand the frequency of CRF screening, and to assess the knowledge and experiences of survivors as it relates to CRF. METHODS: Two separate electronic surveys developed by the authors were distributed. One targeted oncology PTs, the other for adult survivors of cancer. RESULTS: Of the 199 PT respondents, 36% reported screening for CRF at every encounter. Screening included interviews (46%) and/or standardized questionnaires (37%). The most common barriers to receiving treatment for CRF was lack of physician referrals and time constraints. Of patient responses (n = 61), 84% reported CRF as an important ongoing issue; 77% reported that they initiated the discussion about CRF with their provider, and 23% reported being told there were treatment options for CRF. CONCLUSION: CRF is common among cancer survivors. However, consistent screening by PTs is lacking. Patients with CRF frequently initiated the conversation with their providers because of symptoms and many patients were not told of treatment options. These findings represent a substantial gap in clinical practice regarding CRF screening and management.

Creating an Interprofessional Collaborative Research Opportunity for Physical and Occupational Therapy Students.

Physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) professional associations assert the importance that entry-level therapists learn and apply the knowledge and skills necessary for interprofessional collaborative practice; however, the majority of PT and OT programs do not have the other discipline at their university. A challenge exists for the creation of a transparent active learning opportunity promoting interprofessional student engagement when the two professions do not reside in the same university. This case study provides a model for how to feasibly create an interprofessional experience for students in universities that do not include a complementary or collaborative allied health professional program, using various technologies. While creating this collaborative project, we provided opportunities to meet the Interprofessional Education Collaborative's (IPEC) competencies: a) value/ethics for interprofessional practice, b) roles and responsibilities, c) interprofessional communication, and d) teams and teamwork through participation in a breast cancer survivorship research study. Within this demonstration project, the faculty were able to make "micro level" changes to foster interprofessional collaboration among universities with other allied health profession programs, which may lead to improved health outcomes for our clients.