Impact of Multimodal Telerehabilitation on Reducing Disparities in Rural Survivors of Metastatic Prostate Cancer
University of Utah
Summary
People with prostate cancer may have a decreased quality of life due to the cancer itself and due to a lifesaving cancer treatment. Physical therapy, including regular exercise, helps patients with cancer to reduce disease symptoms and improve their quality of life. However, cancer rehabilitation programs in rural areas are not readily available and may require constant travel and significant financial resources, which may limit access to these services on a continuous basis. Technology can allow patients residing in rural areas to exercise at home under the supervision of their rehabilitation team. However, it is unclear how effective this approach is. This research team will conduct a clinical trial in which half of the randomly chosen participants receiving hormonal prostate cancer therapy will use this new technology to exercise at home. Another half - will exercise at home without this new technology. After six months, the study will compare the quality of life and cancer symptoms in these two groups. The investigators hope that this study will demonstrate that the patients who were helped by the new technology to exercise at home will have better fitness, fewer symptoms, and better quality of life. If the study demonstrates this in this project, other patients with cancer residing in rural areas will be able to take advantage of this technology. This approach can be extended to people with different diseases who have difficulties accessing medical care in rural areas to undergo required physical, cognitive, and occupational rehabilitation, and improve their quality of life.
Description
Background. Prostate cancer patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy frequently experience debilitating side effects significantly affecting their quality of life. Recent studies demonstrated the efficacy of multimodal rehabilitation for secondary and tertiary prevention in prostate cancer patients, reduction of cancer symptoms, and improvements in functional recovery and QOL. Despite the mounting evidence regarding the benefits of multimodal rehabilitation for this population, multiple barriers limit the access of these patients to cancer rehabilitation, especially in rural areas. Tele…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 21+ years
- Sex
- Male
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age 21 years or older 2. Confirmed diagnosis of prostate cancer 3. Men receiving standard-of-care ADT either for high-risk, locally advanced prostate cancer or as a part of multicomponent management of metastatic prostate cancer; 4. Residing in a rural community defined by the Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (4 and higher). Exclusion Criteria: 1. Have unstable angina, uncontrolled hypertension, recent myocardial infarction, pacemakers, painful or unstable bony metastases, or recent skeletal fractures. 2. Are engag…
Interventions
- OtherTelerehabilitation Intervention
TheTelerehabilitation Intervention (TR) group utilizes a touchscreen tablet equipped with a computer-guided rehabilitation program that provides ongoing support and feedback for home-based rehabilitation.
Location
- University of Utah Huntsman Cancer InstituteSalt Lake City, Utah