Outcomes of Telehealth-Delivered Physical Activity Programs in Adult Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Reduced physical activity (PA) is associated with poor prognosis in cancer survivors. Clinicians and researchers have attempted to improve adherence to PA recommendations, essentially bridging the gap between the clinic and the home by incorporating telehealth technologies in patients with chronic diseases. However, various approaches to telehealth may be used and the effectiveness of these interventions in cancer survivors is unknown. The purpose of this systematic review was to describe the type of technology used and outcomes of telehealth-delivered PA programs in adult cancer survivors. Methods: A systematic review was performed to examine telehealth methods used to deliver PA exercise programs in adult cancer survivors. Databases searched for articles included PubMed/Ovid, MEDLINE/Web of Science, and CINAHL Complete via EBSCO. All articles that met the inclusion criteria were appraised by 2 reviewers independently and discussed against inclusion/exclusion criteria. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment was used to assess study quality. Results: The search located 21 articles, and 5 met inclusion criteria. Articles included survivors from breast cancer (n = 3), prostate cancer (n = 1), and mixed sample (n = 1), including breast, cervical, endometrial, lung, leukemia, lymphoma, urinary, melanoma, rectal, oral, ovarian, and prostate cancer survivors. Sample size ranged from 41 to 339 and comprised 81.2% breast cancer survivors. PA interventions were delivered via telehealth by telephone calls (2 studies), smartphone apps (2 studies), and one used a combination of telephone calls and text messaging. Limitations: Selection bias is possible. Limited types of telehealth technologies were used. Conclusions: Limited evidence exists describing better outcomes of telehealth-delivered PA programs in cancer survivors than by traditional home exercise program instruction, and further study is indicated.