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

Patient Reported Unmet Needs for Function and Supportive Occupational- and Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Interventions in a Palliative Care Setting

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.

Study Overview

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

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 Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 43

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Denmark
  • Copenhagen, Denmark
    • Rigshospitalet

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

All adult patients (≥ 18 years) referred to the Palliative Care Unit at Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet will be considered eligible for inclusion. Patients will be cancer and non-cancer patients, some will receive in-hospital treatment at the hospital and others outpatient treatment.

Description

Inclusion Criteria :

All adult patients (≥ 18 years) referred to the Palliative Care Unit at Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet.

Exclusion Criteria:

Inability to read and understand Danish

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Unmet physical functioning needs	The Three-Levels-of-Needs Questionnaire (3LNQ)	At baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

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

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Rigshospitalet, Denmark
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jan Christensen, Department of Occupational- and Physiotherapy, Rigshospitalet

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Related Info

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 20, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 8, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): November 8, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 21, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 21, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): August 26, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 6, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 2, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Palliative care; Physical functioning; Unmet needs
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Male Urogenital Diseases; Urologic Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Digestive System Diseases; Liver Diseases; Kidney Diseases; Nervous System Diseases
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2018-418 6670

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No