From the Oncological Rehabilitation Clinic to the Place of Residence - Interface Analysis Considering Exercise Intervention

Purpose This study analyzes the transfer of knowledge and information of exercise and physical activity after cancer therapy in rehabilitation clinics and rehabilitative cancer sports groups in Germany. Moreover, the way of referral into rehabilitative cancer sports groups is evaluated. A possible cooperation between rehabilitation clinics and rehabilitative cancer sports groups is also examined. Methods A survey concept including 2 successive cross sectional analyses was applied using self-designed questionnaires. According to defined inclusion criteria oncological rehabilitation clinics were selected for the first survey (2015). Based on the results, the second survey (2018) was conducted within rehabilitative cancer sports groups using an online survey. Results 33 rehabilitation clinics with 44,828 patients treated (in 2014) as well as 126 cancer sports groups with 1,896 rehabilitative cancer sports group participants were included. 99 % of patients in rehabilitation clinics had been informed about exercise and physical activity in the aftercare. 18 % of the rehabilitative cancer sports groups were cooperating/in contact with oncological rehabilitation clinics, while 57 % of the rehabilitation clinics provided contact information of the rehabilitation sports groups leaders at the patients' hometown. 78 % of rehabilitation clinic patients received individual exercise recommendations for home-based exercise, while only 23 % of the rehabilitative cancer sports groups participants' had received those recommendations prior to participation in this groups, according to the cancer sports group leaders. Conclusion The results are diverse: The rehabilitative cancer sports groups participants present a lower level of information and opposing prescriptions compared to the patients in rehabilitation clinics, according to the responding clinics and groups. This could be due to the fact that most patients are referred to rehabilitative cancer sports groups by specialists and general practitioners, and only few of them attended a rehabilitation clinic before, where comprehensive information is available. The implementation of a nationwide network including rehabilitative cancer sports groups, rehabilitation clinics and specialists/general practitioners could optimize cancer care in terms of quality as well as quantity.