Evidence, Education and Multi-disciplinary Integration Are Needed to Embed Exercise into Lung Cancer Clinical Care: A Qualitative Study Involving Physiotherapists

Aims: To explore physiotherapists perceptions regarding barriers and enablers to embedding exercise into routine lung cancer clinical care.

Design: Qualitative study (content analysis). Eight physiotherapists working in the area of lung cancer at five hospitals participated. The focus group was conducted, transcribed verbatim and independently crosschecked. Thematic analysis was utilized.

Results: The data generated four major themes: evidence justifying exercise; staffing and services; maximising the efficacy of interventions; and hospital culture. Physiotherapists perceived that barriers included lack of evidence, lack of physiotherapy time and funding, inconsistencies in patient access to outpatient exercise programs, lack of clear referral pathways, limited knowledge about exercise by the wider multi-disciplinary team, and poor culture of physical activity in the inpatient setting. Recommendations included developing a stronger evidence-base, establishing set patient pathways into exercise programs, re-allocating physiotherapy services to high-risk patients, and integrating/involving the multi-disciplinary team particularly through education and communication.

Conclusion: This study has identified barriers to, and potential strategies for, the embedding of exercise into lung cancer clinical practice. Evidence, education and multi-disciplinary integration are viewed by physiotherapists as critical for success. A targeted gradual approach, by applying these strategies at defined stages across the lung cancer pathway, is recommended to facilitate future practice change.