SCOPING THE AVAILABILITY AND APPROPRIATENESS OF EXERCISE SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH CANCER IN REGIONAL WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Abstract

BACKGROUND National guidance directs oncology healthcare professionals to refer patients to exercise in standard care, yet referrals happen rarely in practice resulting in a critical research-to-practice gap. One major barrier preventing referrals—especially in rural and regional areas—is the lack of appropriate exercise programming available to people with cancer. Therefore, the aims of this study are to 1) determine the availability of exercise oncology programs in a regional area of Western Australia; and 2) explore the appropriateness of these resources to meet the needs of people living with cancer in this region so that a comprehensive referral resource can be created for the region. METHODS A comprehensive online search identified all exercise services available in the region for people with cancer. Services were categorised using the Cancer Rehabilitation to Recreation (CaReR) framework to describe the level of care each provided. The geographical makeup and demographics of the cancer population in the region were matched to the services to identify service-gaps. RESULTS Approximately 194 000 people live in the Soutwest, with ∼1300 residents diagnosed with cancer each year. Sixty-six exercise oncology services were identified as appropriate for serving this entire population. 62% of all programs were located in the two largest shires across the region. 66% of services were categorised as CaReR Phase 1, providing targeted, supervised care for high-needs patients; 79% as Phase 2, providing targeted, supervised care for medium needs patients; and 28 percent as Phase 3, independent, community-based care for low needs patients. CONCLUSION The Southwest region is significantly under-resourced to meet the national directive to embed exercise referrals into care for people with cancer. Lack of available exercise services for this population, and few programs catering for a diverse range of patient needs underpin this. Implementation-focused research is required to address this critical research-to-practice gap.