Patient Reported Unmet Needs for Function and Supportive Occupational- and Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Interventions

Completed

• Conditions: Kidney Diseases; Neurologic Disorder; Pulmonary Disease; Side Effect; Liver Diseases; Physical Disorder; Heart Failure; Quality of Life; Cancer

• Registration Number: NCT04066153
• Lead Sponsor: Rigshospitalet, Denmark

Brief Summary

Purpose: To determine unmet functional needs in patients referred to the Palliative Care Unit at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital will be asked to fill out self reported questionnaires regarding problem intensity, problem burden and felt needs, physical functioning, emotional functioning, fatigue, sleep, distress. Furthermore patients physical function will be evaluated.

Detailed Description

Physical functioning is found to be an important predictor for survival and physical ability 'to do what one wants' affects quality of life in cancer patients in palliative care and their spouses. Despite this, physical functioning is reported as a neglected dimension in palliative care quality of life outcome measures, and advanced cancer patients report that they do not receive the help they need. The vast majority of patients with advanced cancer described unmet palliative care needs, and with the most frequently reported problems being; fatigue (73%), limitations doing physical activities (65%), limitations in work and daily activities (58%), worry (58%), difficulties with sexuality (54%), pain (52%) and problems with concentration (43%). Furthermore, limitations in physical functioning and physical activity is a leading cause of distress and psychological problems a rehabilitative approach in palliative care integrated in the interdisciplinary interventions to the patients must be maintained throughout the entire illness trajectory from diagnosis through treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care to address such problems.

However, prevalence of patient unmet needs and reported physical functioning and performance is reported to differentiate largely between palliative units.

In order to address the functional needs of patients receiving specialist palliative care studies of their specific needs are required. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the patient reported unmet needs for function and supportive occupational- and physiotherapy rehabilitation interventions in the palliative unit at Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet. Furthermore, we aim to investigate if observations, additional disease-specific patient reported outcomes and assessment of physical function and performance can support the unmet needs.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2019-08-20
• Study First Submitted: 2019-08-21
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-08-21
• Study First Posted: 2019-08-26
• Primary Completion: 2019-11-08
• Study Completion: 2019-11-08
• Status Verified: 2025-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-04-02
• Last Update Posted: 2025-04-06

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 43

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Inability to read and understand Danish

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Unmet physical functioning needs	At baseline	The Three-Levels-of-Needs Questionnaire (3LNQ)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Physical activity level	At baseline	International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form
Overall distress	At baseline	Distress thermometer
Sleep quality	At beseline	Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
Hand grip strength	At baseline	Maximum strength test by handgrip dynamometer
Level of fatigue	At baseline	Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Fatigue (FACT-F) 13 item fatigue subscale
Health-related quality of life	At baseline	EORTC QLQ-C30
Psychological distress	At baseline	Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)
Lower body physical function	At baseline	30 seconds Sit-To-Stand test
Patients self-perception of performance in everyday living	At baseline	The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)
Walking endurance	At baseline	Six Minute Walking Test

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Rigshospitalet; 🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark