Bridging the Gap Between Exercise Oncology Research and Its Implementation in Clinical Practice

The ICARE study is a comprehensive hybrid Type 3 effectiveness-implementation trial aimed at evaluating the integration of an evidence-based exercise program into routine cancer care in real-world clinical settings. Its primary focus is on understanding the feasibility, acceptability, and practical aspects of implementing this intervention through the application of targeted implementation strategies, including the automation of referrals into the clinical workflow to streamline and standardize the process. Specifically, the study assesses the extent of program adoption at multiple levels: first, at the clinician level by measuring the proportion and representativeness of oncology care providers who refer patients to the exercise program; second, at the clinic level by evaluating the proportion and diversity of cancer centers and community clinics that successfully incorporate the exercise intervention into their standard workflows; and third, at the patient level by examining the reach of the program, including the number, proportion, and demographic diversity of participating patients. The study also seeks to identify contextual factors, such as organizational culture, resources, and clinician attitudes, as well as barriers and facilitators that influence successful implementation and sustainment of the program.

While the primary focus is on implementation, the study also has a secondary aim to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the tailored, evidence-based exercise intervention on important patient-centered outcomes. These include improvements in physical functioning, enhancements in quality of life, better symptom management, and overall wellbeing, measured across various stages of the post-diagnosis cancer journey (i.e., pretreatment/prehabilitation, active treatment, post-treatment/rehabilitation/early survivorship. Ultimately, the findings from this study aim to inform future implementation strategies, optimize integration processes, and improve patient outcomes by translating evidence-based practices into sustainable, real-world cancer care settings.