Effects of partly supervised and home-based exercise program in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a case-control study

Brave new world: expanding home care in stem cell transplantation and advanced therapies with new technologies

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cell therapies like CAR-T are costly, complex therapeutic procedures. Outpatient models, including at-home transplantation, have been developed, resulting in similar survival results, reduced costs, and increased patient satisfaction. The complexity and safety of the process can be addressed with various emerging technologies (artificial intelligence, wearable sensors, point-of-care analytical devices, drones, virtual assistants) that allow continuous patient monitoring and improved decision-making processes. Patients, caregivers, and staff can also benefit from improved training with simulation or virtual reality. However, many technical, operational, and above all, ethical concerns need to be addressed. Finally, outpatient or at-home hematopoietic transplantation or CAR-T therapy creates a different, integrated operative system that must be planned, designed, and carefully adapted to the patient's characteristics and distance from the hospital. Patients, clinicians, and their clinical environments can benefit from technically improved at-home transplantation.

Family-Focused Facilitated Fitness: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Couple-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Recipients and Their Caregiving Partners

Reductions in physical activity (PA) are common among patients following hematopoietic cell transplantation, and a risk factor for poor physical functioning. PA among spouses/cohabiting partners, who frequently serve as the patient's primary caregiver, may also be reduced due to caregiving demands and limited bandwidth for self-care. In addition, the patient-caregiver relationship can be compromised, and communication patterns disrupted. All PA interventions in the hematopoietic cell transplantation setting have focused entirely on patients, ignoring an opportunity to synergistically engage and benefit the caregiver as well. We sought to test feasibility and acceptability of a couple-based intervention entitled Family-Focused Facilitated Fitness (FFFF), designed to improve PA as assessed by daily step counts among both patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation and their caregivers. Guided by interdependence and communal coping perspectives, FFFF is an 8-week, remotely-delivered intervention that provides training in communication skills and joint problem-solving to help patients and caregivers support one another in PA. Participants are also given a Fitbit to track their steps and weekly individualized step prescription based on the 75th percentile ranked value of their last 7 recorded daily step counts. A priori benchmarks for feasibility and acceptability in this single-arm pilot were as follows: 50% of eligible couples would agree to participate, 70% of couples would attend all 8 sessions, 80% of participants would provide valid Fitbit wear data 4/7 days/ week, and among sessions reviewed for treatment fidelity, 85% of treatment protocol elements would be covered. Couples were recruited prior to transplant. Among 26 couples approached and deemed eligible, 17 enrolled (65% agreement) and completed baseline assessment. Three couples later withdrew after transplantation but prior to receiving the intervention, resulting in 14 couples commencing the intervention, on average 21 days post-transplant. Four couples subsequently discontinued due to medical complications (n = 3) or caregiver schedule (n = 1). Among the 10 couples who completed the intervention, the percentage of participants meeting our benchmark of valid Fitbit wear at least 4 days per week was 85% in week 1, 90% in weeks 2 to 7, and 80% in week 8. Treatment fidelity was 95% on average across 24 sessions reviewed (3 cases). Treatment satisfaction scores were uniformly high across multiple dimensions, with all means above 4 on the 1 to 5 scale. Daily step counts among those attending all 8 intervention sessions increased from 2249 ± 302 steps/day in week 1 to 4975 ± 1377 steps/day in week 8 among patients, and from 8676 ± 3760 steps/day in week 1 to 9838 ± 3723 steps/day in week 8 among caregivers. Qualitative feedback indicated perceived mental and physical health benefits of the program. Participants also offered suggestions for adaptations to accommodate medical setbacks and constraints. All a priori feasibility benchmarks were met or exceeded. Results offer promise for utility of the program to engage and leverage patient-caregiver dyads to increase PA following transplant. An investigation using a randomized controlled design will be necessary to adequately examine change over time relative to control and its possible impact on clinical and patient-reported outcomes.

A multimodal interdisciplinary rehabilitation programme (HAPPY) for patients undergoing allogeneic non-myeloablative haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A feasibility study

PURPOSE

To evaluate the feasibility of the multimodal interdisciplinary rehabilitation programme HAPPY, targeting patients with haematological malignancy and undergoing allogeneic non-myeloablative haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (NMA-HSCT).

METHOD

A single arm longitudinal design was applied to test the feasibility of the 6-month HAPPY programme, which consisted of motivational interviewing dialogues, individual supervised physical exercise training, relaxation exercises, nutritional counselling, and home assignments. The feasibility measures included acceptability, fidelity, exposure, practicability, and safety. Descriptive statistics were conducted.

RESULTS

From November 2018 to January 2020, thirty patients (mean age (SD) 64.1 (6.5)) were enrolled in HAPPY, of whom 18 patients completed the programme. Acceptance was 88%; attrition 40%; fidelity was 80%-100% for all HAPPY elements except phone calls; exposure of HAPPY elements at the hospital reflected individual differences but was acceptable, whereas exposure of HAPPY elements at home was low. Planning of HAPPY for the individual patient was time consuming, and patients were dependent of reminders and incites from the health care professionals.

CONCLUSION

Most elements of the rehabilitation programme HAPPY were feasible. Yet, HAPPY will benefit from further development and simplifications before an effectiveness study can be conducted, especially regarding improvement of the intervention elements supporting patients at home.

Exercise Preferences, Barriers, and Facilitators of Individuals With Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy Before Stem Cell Transplantation: A Mixed-Methods Study

BACKGROUND

Exercise can help mitigate side effects of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), particularly when initiated before HSCT. However, the exercise-related barriers, facilitators, and preferences of this population remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the patient experience to inform future implementation of a prehabilitation intervention.

INTERVENTIONS/METHODS

A 2-phase sequential explanatory mixed-methods study was conducted using (1) cross-sectional survey and (2) focus groups. Survey questions aligned with the Theoretical Domains Framework. Focus group data were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach, followed by inductive thematic analysis to generate themes that represented the exercise-related barriers, facilitators, and preferences of participants.

RESULTS

Twenty-six participants completed phase 1 (n = 22 with multiple myeloma). Fifty percent of participants (n = 13) were fairly/very confident in their ability to exercise pre-HSCT. Eleven participants completed phase 2. Exercise barriers included knowledge/skill limitations, inadequate healthcare provider support, and the emotional toll of treatment. Facilitators included social support and goals. Exercise preferences were related to 2 themes: (1) program structure (subthemes: prescription and scheduling, mode of delivery) and (2) support (subthemes: support from personnel, tailoring, and education).

CONCLUSION

Key exercise-related barriers included knowledge limitations, disease/treatment effects, and inadequate support. Prehabilitation should be tailored, flexible, and include education and a virtual or hybrid delivery model in this population.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Nurses are well positioned to identify functional limitations and counsel and refer patients to exercise programming and/or physiotherapy services. Including an exercise professional in the pretransplant care team would provide key supportive care assistance for the nursing team.

Exercise Interventions During Hospitalization for Stem Cell Transplantation: An Integrative Review

Exercise interventions may influence adverse effects experienced during hospitalization for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Adherence to exercise interventions is challenging. This review aimed to synthesize the literature to identify exercise interventions implemented during hospitalization for HSCT, including intervention characteristics, adherence, barriers and facilitators, and behavior change techniques using the behavior change technique taxonomy. A review of PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Embase was completed. The sample included 19 studies. Exercise interventions demonstrated heterogeneity in prescription components, definitions, measures, and reporting of adherence. Barriers and facilitators of adherence to exercise were reported infrequently. Behavior change techniques most frequently used in studies reporting adherence rates of ≥75% included instruction on how to perform the behavior, graded tasks, and adding objects to the environment. The heterogeneity in definitions and measures of adherence limit forming conclusions to identify barriers and facilitators and determine which behavior change techniques increase adherence to exercise during HSCT.

Exercise oncology during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: Are virtually supervised exercise interventions a sustainable alternative?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, new challenges are presented in clinical research settings to increase exercise levels, particularly in vulnerable populations such as cancer survivors. While in-person supervised exercise is an effective format to improve patient-reported outcomes and physical function for cancer survivors, the COVID-19 pandemic limited this form of exercise as a feasible option within research and cancer care. As such, exercise oncology interventions were adapted to home-based instruction. In this review, we examine the current evidence of exercise interventions in cancer populations during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified that group-based virtually supervised home-based exercise was the most used format among exercise oncology interventions during the pandemic. Preliminary results support feasibility and effectiveness of this emerging exercise setting in cancer survivors; however, it needs to be further investigated in adequately designed larger trials. Additionally, we provide recommendations and perspective for the implementation of virtually supervised home-based exercise.

Exercise in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: a qualitative representation of the patient perspective

PURPOSE

Exercise is emerging as a vital aspect of care to alleviate the physical and psychosocial symptom burden associated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Understanding the patient perspective regarding exercise is important to move towards implementation. This study aimed to characterise experiences and views regarding participation in an exercise program in adults receiving treatment for haematological disease with allogeneic BMT.

METHODS

Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 participants from either an early- or late-commencing supervised group-based exercise program. Using an inductive, conventional approach to qualitative content analysis data were independently analysed by two researchers.

RESULTS

Six major themes and 33 sub-themes were identified: this encompassed motivation, physical opportunity and capability to exercise; psychosocial effects of group-based exercise; experienced impact of participation in an exercise program; and intervention design considerations. Key barriers to exercise included symptom severity and fluctuating health and distance or difficult access to an exercise facility or equipment, whilst facilitators included encouragement from staff; peer support in the group-based setting; flexibility; education; and ability to measure change.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the importance of a flexible approach to exercise with consideration of individual symptoms and preferences. The perceived psychological impact of exercise should not be underestimated; future exercise programs should be designed in partnership with patients, with consideration of group-based activities to reduce social isolation if this is feasible in the treatment context. Intervention design should also acknowledge the individual's physical and psychological capability, opportunity and automatic and reflective motivation to direct and sustain exercise behaviours following BMT.

People With Hematological Malignancies Treated With Bone Marrow Transplantation Have Improved Function, Quality of Life, and Fatigue Following Exercise Intervention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

For people with hematological malignancies treated with bone marrow transplantation (BMT), this systematic review aimed to identify, evaluate, and synthesize the evidence examining the effect of exercise training on the outcomes of exercise capacity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and hospital length of stay (LOS) and to identify any difference in the effect on people treated with allogeneic versus autologous transplantation.

METHODS

Five electronic databases were systematically searched from inception to December 5, 2020. Prospective studies with a comparator group, with or without randomization, were included if they investigated the effects of an exercise intervention compared with usual care or another intervention in adults who had a hematological malignancy and were undergoing BMT. Primary outcomes of interest were functional exercise capacity and HRQoL; secondary outcomes included strength, fatigue, hospital LOS, and feasibility. Only randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analyses. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database or Newcastle-Ottawa Scale; the quality of evidence for meta-analyses was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

RESULTS

Twenty-four randomized controlled trials and 3 prospective nonrandomized experimental trials were included (n = 2432). There was moderate-quality evidence that exercise improves functional exercise capacity (mean difference [MD] = 29 m; 95% CI = 12.59 to 45.4), global HRQoL (MD = 3.38 points; 95% CI = 0.37 to 6.39), and fatigue (MD = 2.52 points; 95% CI = 0.42 to 4.63) and low-quality evidence for reduced hospital LOS (MD = 2.07 days; 95% CI = 0.43 to 3.72). These effects were more pronounced in recipients of allogeneic transplantation. No serious adverse events were associated directly with exercise in the included studies.

CONCLUSION

Exercise is safe and improves outcomes, including functional exercise capacity, HRQoL, and hospital LOS in adults undergoing BMT.

IMPACT

The results of this systematic review support the implementation of exercise programs in adults undergoing BMT, particularly recipients of allogeneic transplantation.

Wearable Monitors Facilitate Exercise in Adult and Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a potentially curative treatment for hematopoietic malignancies, complicated by decreased performance status and quality of life. Exercise therapy improves outcomes in HSCT, but several barriers have prevented exercise from becoming routine clinical practice. Based on existing data that wearable technologies facilitate exercise participation in other sedentary and chronic illness populations, we propose the novel hypothesis that wearable technologies are a valuable tool in transcending barriers and developing exercise therapy programs for HSCT patients.

Pre-transplant Rehabilitation to Decrease the Post-transplant Length of Stay for Hematological Malignancy Patients Undergoing Allo-HSCT

Objectives:

Pre-transplant rehabilitation for hematological malignancy patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) helps improve physical capacity. However, its benefit with respect to post-transplant hospital length of stay (LOS) is unclear. Consequently, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pre-transplant rehabilitation on post-transplant LOS for hematological malignancy patients undergoing allo-HSCT.

Methods:

Data on patients diagnosed between April 2014 and March 2017 were collected from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. The patients were identified using the ICD-10 codes C81–85, C90–94, C96, and D46. Multilevel linear regression analyses were conducted to identify the effects of pre-transplant rehabilitation on post-transplant LOS (log transformed).

Results:

In total, 3614 patients were included in the study. Pre-transplant rehabilitation was associated with a significant reduction in post-transplant hospital LOS (β=–0.134, P<0.001).

Conclusions:

Pre-transplant rehabilitation may be an effective strategy for shortening the post-transplant hospital LOS in hematological malignancy patients undergoing allo-HSCT. Consequently, it may be necessary to consider starting rehabilitation before transplantation.

Screening supportive care needs, compliance with exercise program, quality of life, and anxiety level during the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Purpose

The primary aim was to assess supportive care needs, compliance with home exercise program, quality of life level (QOL), and anxiety level during the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The secondary aim was to investigate demographic and medical factors associated with the recorded outcomes.

Methods

The present study included individuals treated with HSCT and previously referred to physical therapy. The data were collected by interviews with the participants on the phone. Supportive care needs were assessed using the Supportive Care Needs Survey-Short Form 29^TR. Compliance with the exercise program was recorded as the number of patients regularly performed strengthening and stretching exercises and the ratio of the walking duration to the recommended duration. The European Cancer Research and Treatment Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Cancer30 was used to assess the QOL. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-I and the Visual Analogue Scale were used to assess anxiety level.

Results

The present study included 101 individuals treated with HSCT. The psychological and physical supportive care needs were predominant in participants. Compliance with exercise program was low. General anxiety level was low, yet anxiety about COVID-19 was moderate level in participants. Supportive care needs were related to female gender, performance level, time since HSCT, and QOL level (p ˂ 0.05). Anxiety level was correlated with supportive care needs, COVID-19-related anxiety, and QOL (p ˂ 0.05). Compliance with exercise program was associated with age, performance level, and QOL (p ˂ 0.05).

Conclusion

Our results offer that supportive telehealth interventions should be considered during the COVID-19 pandemic for individuals treated with HSCT to decrease unmet supportive care needs and isolation-related physical inactivity.

Mobilization and Exercise Intervention for Patients With Multiple Myeloma: Clinical Practice Guidelines Endorsed by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association

OBJECTIVE

Individuals with multiple myeloma (MM) often have reduced functional performance due to the cancer itself or as a direct side effect of cancer treatments. Physical therapy is a part of cancer rehabilitation; however, no guidelines are available to provide information and direction for physical therapists managing patients with MM. The goal of this guideline is to provide recommendations based on a systematic review and consensus process that physical therapists can use to manage patients with MM.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature published until August 2018 was performed in 8 databases with 2 independent reviewers assessing quality. Seventeen articles were identified as relevant, and a draft guideline was developed in the form of action statements. A total of 10 physical therapists with hematology experience and 10 patients with MM were recruited for consensus process. A priori threshold of 80% agreement was used to establish a consensus for each statement. The draft guidelines were reviewed externally by 4 methodologists using the AGREE II tool and a stakeholder representing OH (Cancer Care Ontario) Program in Evidence Based Care, McMaster University. The final guideline was reviewed and officially endorsed by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association.

RESULTS

A total of 30 action statements were developed that achieved consensus, indicating physical therapy recommendations based on physiological markers (ie, hemoglobin, platelet count), complete patient presentation, and the stage of medical treatment.

CONCLUSION

These clinical practice guidelines were developed to aid physical therapists in implementing evidence-based and best-practice care for patients with MM to optimize rehabilitation outcomes.

IMPACT

These guidelines fill an important knowledge gap and are the first to provide information specifically for physical therapist management of patients with MM.