Investigating the experiences, thoughts, and feelings underlying and influencing prehabilitation among cancer patients: a qualitative perspective on the what, when, where, who, and why

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Purpose To investigate the experiences, thoughts, and feelings that underlie and influence prehabilitation among cancer patients due to undergo major abdominal surgery. Materials and methods Prior to their surgery, sixteen patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal or ovarian origin due to undergo major surgery received oral information and a leaflet with preoperative recommendations. They subsequently participated in individual, semi-structured interviews. Malterud’s principles of systematic text condensation were used to analyse the interviews, and the concept of action competence inspired and framed the discussion. Results Although the patients found themselves in an unpredictable and uncontrollable situation, they nevertheless knew what was important to them. These factors were contextualised in five themes that reflected the experiences, thoughts, and feelings that underlay and influenced their actions: “Perception of preparation,” “The two-sided preoperative period,” “Home or facility-based prehabilitation,” “Stakeholders in prehabilitation,” and “Reasons for taking action”. Conclusions The patients demonstrated action competence in relation to their preoperative preparation. However, in relation to the kind of prehabilitation that required lifestyle changes, their action competence needed to be developed and supported. To do so, it is necessary to ask questions that cover the patients’ perspectives of the what, when, where, who, and why of prehabilitation. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Patients undergoing major, abdominal cancer surgery have very clear opinions about what are important to them during the preoperative period, and this is not only limited to prehabilitation-related actions. In order to develop patients’ action competence in relation to prehabilitation, patients need more support and supervision from health professionals. Qualitative in-depth knowledge concerning the what, when, where, who, and why of prehabilitation should be taken into account in the development of future prehabilitation programmes.