ABSTRACT
This study evaluates feasibility of a multidisciplinary intervention combining occupational counselling with physical exercise to enhance cancer patients' return to work, assesses whether care providers and patients were satisfied with the intervention, and describes barriers to and facilitators of execution. Newly diagnosed cancer patients, treated with chemotherapy and on sick leave from (self-)employment participated. Patients received counselling from an oncological occupational physician (OOP), were assessed by a sports physician, and performed a 12-week training programme supervised by physiotherapists. Care providers completed registration forms to collect data on reach, dose delivered and received in executing the protocol and were interviewed about their satisfaction and barriers to and facilitators of execution. Patients completed three questionnaires on satisfaction and usefulness of the intervention. Fifty-six per cent of all patients were eligible (reach). In total, 123 patients participated. For all intervention components dose delivered exceeded 75%; dose received ranged from 49%-79%. Overall, patients and care providers were satisfied and perceived the intervention as useful. Care providers considered the intervention feasible, while execution was facilitated by highly motivated patients and impeded by physical limitations hindering exercise. It is feasible to conduct this multidisciplinary intervention in cancer patients during curative treatment. Patients and care providers were satisfied with the intervention.
Subject(s)
Exercise Therapy , Neoplasms/rehabilitation , Occupational Therapy/methods , Return to Work , Adult , Attitude of Health Personnel , Counseling/methods , Feasibility Studies , Female , Health Services Accessibility/standards , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Patient SatisfactionABSTRACT
Numerous athletes with patellar tendinopathy (PT) use a patellar strap or sports tape during sports. This study's aim was to investigate the short-term effect of these orthoses on patellar tendon pain. Participants performed the single-leg decline squat, vertical jump test, and triple-hop test under four different conditions (patellar strap, sports tape, placebo, and control). Subsequently, participants practiced sports as usual for 2 weeks; during 1 week, they were assigned to one of the four conditions. Pain was measured with the visual analog scale (VAS). In total, 97 athletes with PT [61% male, age 27.0 (SD8.1), VISA-P 58.5 (SD12.7)] were analyzed. On the single-leg decline squat, the VAS pain score reduced significantly in the patellar strap (14 mm, P = 0.04) and the sports tape condition (13 mm, P = 0.04), compared with control, but not placebo. A significant decrease in VAS pain during sports was found in the sports tape (7 mm, P = 0.04) and placebo group (6 mm, P = 0.04). The VAS pain score two hours after sports decreased significantly in the patellar strap, sports tape and placebo group (8-mm, P < 0.001, 10 mm, P = 0.001 and 7 mm, P = 0.03, respectively). This study's findings indicate that an orthosis (including placebo tape) during sports can reduce pain in PT patients in the short term.
