The 'Cancer Home-Life Intervention': A randomised controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of an occupational therapy-based intervention in people with advanced cancer

Marc Sampedro Pilegaard; Karen la Cour; Lisa Gregersen Oestergaard; Anna Thit Johnsen; Line Lindahl-Jacobsen; Inger Højris; Åse Brandt

doi:10.1177/0269216317747199

The 'Cancer Home-Life Intervention': A randomised controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of an occupational therapy-based intervention in people with advanced cancer

Palliat Med. 2018 Apr;32(4):744-756. doi: 10.1177/0269216317747199. Epub 2018 Jan 4.

Authors

Marc Sampedro Pilegaard^{1

2}, Karen la Cour^{1

2}, Lisa Gregersen Oestergaard^{3

4}, Anna Thit Johnsen^{5

6}, Line Lindahl-Jacobsen⁷, Inger Højris⁸, Åse Brandt^{1

2

9}

Affiliations

¹ 1 The Research Initiative of Activity Studies and Occupational Therapy, Research Unit of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
² 2 OPEN - Odense Patient Data Explorative Network, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
³ 3 Department of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
⁴ 4 Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
⁵ 5 Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
⁶ 6 Department of Palliative Medicine, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁷ 7 University College Zealand, Sorø, Denmark.
⁸ 8 Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
⁹ 9 Centre for Disability and Mental Vulnerability, The National Board of Social Services, Odense, Denmark.

Abstract

Background: People with advanced cancer face difficulties with their everyday activities at home that may reduce their health-related quality of life. To address these difficulties, we developed the 'Cancer Home-Life Intervention'.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of the 'Cancer Home Life-Intervention' compared with usual care with regard to patients' performance of, and participation in, everyday activities, and their health-related quality of life.

Design and intervention: A randomised controlled trial ( ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02356627). The 'Cancer Home-Life Intervention' is a brief, tailored, occupational therapy-based and adaptive programme for people with advanced cancer targeting the performance of their prioritised everyday activities.

Setting/participants: Home-living adults diagnosed with advanced cancer experiencing functional limitations were recruited from two Danish hospitals. They were assessed at baseline, and at 6 and 12 weeks of follow-up. The primary outcome was activities of daily living motor ability. Secondary outcomes were activities of daily living process ability, difficulty performing prioritised everyday activities, participation restrictions and health-related quality of life.

Results: A total of 242 participants were randomised either to the intervention group ( n = 121) or the control group ( n = 121). No effect was found on the primary outcome (between-group mean change: -0.04 logits (95% confidence interval: -0.23 to 0.15); p = 0.69). Nor was any effect on the secondary outcomes observed.

Conclusion: In most cases, the 'Cancer Home-Life Intervention' was delivered through only one home visit and one follow-up telephone contact, which not was effective in maintaining or improving participants' everyday activities and health-related quality of life. Future research should pay even more attention to intervention development and feasibility testing.

Keywords: Activities of daily living; controlled clinical trial; independent living; neoplasms; occupational therapy; palliative care; quality of life.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Activities of Daily Living
Aged
Female
Home Care Services
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasms / pathology*
Neoplasms / therapy*
Occupational Therapy*
Palliative Care
Quality of Life
Treatment Outcome

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02356627