Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for Adults Living With and Beyond Cancer

Abstract

Abstract Importance: Occupational therapy practitioners play an important role in addressing the impairments, occupational performance, and participation needs of adults living with and beyond cancer. Objective: These Practice Guidelines aim to assist occupational therapy practitioners, educators, and researchers in applying evidence and expert opinion to occupational therapy practice across the cancer continuum of care, including identifying gaps in care. Key focus areas include psychosocial function, fatigue, cognition, pain, sleep, and physical activity. These guidelines can serve as a reference for policymakers, health care professionals, health care managers, regulators, third-party payers, and managed care organizations to manage, reimburse, and set policy. Method: We examined, synthesized, and integrated the results of systematic reviews, supporting literature, and expert opinion to develop and provide clinical recommendations for practice in the care of adults living with and beyond cancer. Results: Sixteen systematic reviews with moderate to strong strength of evidence published between 2019 and 2022 served as the foundation for these Practice Guidelines. Conclusions and Recommendations: To support symptom management for adults living with and beyond cancer, occupational therapy practitioners can consider using psychosocial interventions for anxiety, depression, posttraumatic growth, and overall psychological distress. Practitioners can consider using physical activity interventions for cancer-related fatigue, cognitive performance, and sleep. Practitioners could also consider using interventions for cognition, pain management, and self-management for the improvement of cancer-related symptoms. Plain-Language Summary: These Practice Guidelines provide strong and moderate levels of evidence for occupational therapy practitioners to support adults living with and beyond cancer. They provide specific guidance for addressing pain, cancer-related fatigue, cancer-related cognitive impairments, psychosocial well-being, sleep, and physical activity. The guidelines also include case examples and an infographic to support occupational therapy practitioners in integrating evidence to support interventions in cancer care, and they highlight gaps and expert opinions in practice for continued clinically relevant research.