Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations.
This study examined how adults treated with cancer rated their confidence in and difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADLs) and how that was related to receiving OT services. Participants who attended OT had statistically significantly higher confidence in ADLs compared to those who did not attend. Nearly 75% of participants reported experiencing difficulty completing ADLs after cancer diagnosis. OTs can advocate for referrals to OT and target function in treatment.
Primary Author and Speaker: Brittany A. Boyer
Additional Authors and Speakers: Katherine McVey, Leah Gossard
Contributing Authors: Anna M. Quigg, Stacy Buckingham-Howes
PURPOSE: Cancer may contribute to functional limitations in performing activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) (Hunter, Gibson, Arbesman, & D'Amico, 2017). Occupational therapy treatment provides education, techniques, and compensatory strategies to clients in order to address the challenges associated with completing activities of daily living (AOTA, 2011). Less is known about clients' perceptions of their own Confidence in and Difficulty with completing these tasks. This research project examined how receipt of occupational therapy (OT) is related to participants' report of Confidence in and Difficulty completing ADLs and IADLs following cancer treatment. Specifically, this study compared self-reported confidence scores among adults treated for cancer who received OT vs. those who did not receive OT.
DESIGN/METHOD: A quantitative, cross-sectional, self-report design was used to understand how adults treated for cancer within the past five years felt about their confidence in completing activities of daily living. Participants were recruited via social media. Inclusion criteria were: 18 years of age or older, diagnosed with any type or stage of cancer within the past five years, and used social media. The survey was available in English. The 32-question survey used a Likert- type scale to assess confidence. This study was IRB approved.
RESULTS: Data collection will continue through November, 2020. Current sample size is 60, not yet analyzed. As of April, 2020, inclusion criteria were met by 39 participants (84.6%, n = 33) were female and 51% (n = 20) reported having breast cancer. Most participants (79.5%, n = 31), did not receive a referral to occupational therapy. A Mann-Whitney U Test revealed statistically significant higher median Confidence (U = 63.00, p = 0.03) in completing ADLs and IADLs for those who received OT compared to those who did not. With the preliminary sample size (N = 39), a Chi-Square test failed to reach statistical significance for Difficulty scores between those who received OT and those who did not (χ2 = 3.47, p = 0.062). Data show that 20.5% of participants reported receiving a referral to OT bur more than 74% reported Difficulty completing ADLs/IADLs, which may be an important consideration for clinical practice.
CONCLUSION: Individuals treated for cancer often experience difficulties with activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living and occupational therapy services are a resource for clients for functional limitations. These finding may suggest that participants who reported low confidence were not likely to get referred for occupational therapy services because they were perceived as having greater and appropriate need for occupational therapy services.
IMPACT STATEMENT: This study suggests advocacy for heightened OT referrals post-cancer diagnosis may be warranted. Future studies could directly assess ADLs/IADLs over time for clients who have been treated for cancer to examine changes in functional performance throughout a client's cancer treatment and recovery.
References
Hunter, EG., Gibson, RW., Arbesman, M., & D’Amico, M. (2017). Systematic review of occupational therapy and adult cancer rehabilitation: Part 1. Impact of physical activity and symptom management interventions. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2017.023564
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2011). The role of occupational therapy in oncology fact sheet. American Occupational Therapy Association. Retrieved from https://www.aota.org/-/media/corporate/files/aboutot/professionals/whatisot/rdp/facts/oncology%20fact%20sheet.pdf
