‘Involvement of the rehabilitation interprofessional teams is crucial in cancer care’, health professionals’ perspective, South Africa

Abstract

Background: Patients diagnosed with cancer who are undergoing treatment may experience symptoms such as pain, fatigue and anxiety. Moreover, the diagnosis, progression and treatment of cancer can severely hinder physical activity levels and overall well-being. Evidence on integrating rehabilitation in cancer care is still scarce in South Africa. Aim: To explore factors influencing the integration of rehabilitation services in cancer management in a tertiary academic hospital. Setting: Data were collected at an academic hospital in Gauteng province. Methods: Face-to-face semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals were conducted. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis on MAXQDA version 2020.1 software. Results: Fifteen health professionals involved in cancer care at a tertiary academic hospital were interviewed. The main theme was ‘we know, but we are not doing it’. The sub-themes related to the main themes were health challenges experienced by patients with cancer, rehabilitation services for cancer patients, benefits of rehabilitation for cancer patients, barriers and facilitators to integrating rehabilitation in cancer care and recommendations to improve the integration of rehabilitation services in cancer care. Conclusion: Participants recognised the importance of rehabilitation in cancer care. However, integrating rehabilitation into the cancer care continuum was not done due to many barriers. The findings may help policymakers ensure the implementation of the National Cancer Strategic Framework, which promotes inclusion of rehabilitation as part of holistic cancer care. Contribution: We highlight the importance of rehabilitation in cancer care.