Physiotherapy Effects on Function, Ambulation, and Independence in Palliative Cancer Care

June 12, 2026 updated by: Nujud Halawi, University of Jazan

Short-Term Effects of Physiotherapy on Functional Status, Ambulation, and Independence in Palliative Care Cancer Patients at Jazan Specialist Hospital: A Prospective Quasi Experimental Study

This study examines the short-term effects of physiotherapy on functional status, ambulation, and independence among patients admitted to the palliative care unit at Jazan Specialist Hospital. The study hypothesizes that a short-term individualized physiotherapy program will lead to measurable improvements in functional outcomes as assessed by the Barthel Index (BI), Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), and Palliative Performance Scale (PPS).

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

A prospective single-group pre-post quasi-experimental study was conducted in the Palliative Care Unit at Jazan Specialist Hospital, Jazan, Saudi Arabia, between August 2025 and April 2026. Sixty patients were managed during the study period; of these, 32 patients with complete paired pre- and post-intervention assessments were included in the final statistical analysis. Patients received an individualized physiotherapy program once daily for one week (7 sessions), with each session lasting approximately 45-60 minutes. The intervention included range-of-motion exercises, manual therapy, strengthening exercises, stretching, mobility training, transfer training, ambulation exercises, positioning, and chest physiotherapy. Outcome measures included the Barthel Index (BI), Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), and Palliative Performance Scale (PPS). Pre- and post-intervention data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

32

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Saudi Arabia
      • Jizan, Saudi Arabia, 86611
        • Jazan Health Cluster

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Adult patients aged 18 years or older admitted to the palliative care unit with a confirmed diagnosis of advanced cancer.
  2. Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) score of 40 or above.
  3. Clinically stable and conscious at the time of recruitment.
  4. Capable of providing informed consent, either personally or through a legal guardian.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Pre-terminal or unstable clinical condition that precluded safe physiotherapy participation. 2. PPS score below 40 indicating severely reduced functional status.

3. Unconsciousness or inability to engage meaningfully in physiotherapy sessions.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Other: Experimental: Physiotherapy Intervention Group
Individualized Physiotherapy Program Participants received an individualized physiotherapy program delivered once daily for one week (7 sessions), each lasting approximately 45-60 minutes. The program included: range-of-motion exercises, manual therapy, strengthening exercises, stretching, mobility training, transfer training, ambulation exercises, positioning, and chest physiotherapy, as clinically appropriate. The program was tailored to each patient's functional status, clinical condition, and tolerance, with modifications made according to daily clinical assessment. Outcome measures: Barthel Index (BI), Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), and Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) assessed at baseline (within 24-48 hours of recruitment) and after completion of the one-week intervention (day 7).
Other: Experimental: Physiotherapy Intervention Group
Individualized Physiotherapy Program Participants received an individualized physiotherapy program delivered once daily for one week (7 sessions), each lasting approximately 45-60 minutes. The program included: range-of-motion exercises, manual therapy, strengthening exercises, stretching, mobility training, transfer training, ambulation exercises, positioning, and chest physiotherapy, as clinically appropriate. The program was tailored to each patient's functional status, clinical condition, and tolerance, with modifications made according to daily clinical assessment. Outcome measures: Barthel Index (BI), Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), and Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) assessed at baseline (within 24-48 hours of recruitment) and after completion of the one-week intervention (day 7).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Improvement in Barthel Index (BI)
Time Frame: [Time Frame: Timepoint 1 = Baseline (within 24-48 hours of recruitment). Timepoint 2 = Post-intervention (day 7 or at discharge).]
The BI assesses independence in activities of daily living, with higher scores indicating greater independence. Scores range from 0 to 100.
[Time Frame: Timepoint 1 = Baseline (within 24-48 hours of recruitment). Timepoint 2 = Post-intervention (day 7 or at discharge).]
Improvement in Functional Ambulation Category (FAC)
Time Frame: [Time Frame: Timepoint 1 = Baseline. Timepoint 2 = Post-intervention (day 7 or at discharge).]
The FAC assesses walking ability and level of assistance required for ambulation. Scores range from 0 (non-ambulatory) to 5 (independent ambulation on all surfaces).
[Time Frame: Timepoint 1 = Baseline. Timepoint 2 = Post-intervention (day 7 or at discharge).]
Improvement in Palliative Performance Scale (PPS)
Time Frame: [Time Frame: Timepoint 1 = Baseline. Timepoint 2 = Post-intervention (day 7 or at discharge).]
The PPS assesses overall functional status in palliative care, with higher scores indicating better functional performance. Scores range from 0 to 100 in increments of 10.
[Time Frame: Timepoint 1 = Baseline. Timepoint 2 = Post-intervention (day 7 or at discharge).]

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Jazan

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Nujud Halawi, University of Jazan

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

August 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 30, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

June 13, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 12, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 17, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • UJazan_NHalawi

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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