Rehabilitation needs of an inpatient medical oncology unit.

OBJECTIVE: To identify prospectively functional impairments and rehabilitation needs in an acute care medical oncology unit.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Inpatient medical oncology unit at a Veterans Affairs hospital.

PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-five patients admitted over a 6-month period.

INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: FIM instrument, functionally based physical examination, Rehabilitation Needs Assessment, and Recreational Needs Assessment.

RESULTS: On admission, the mean FIM total score was 105 out of 126, the FIM motor score was 72 out of 91, and the FIM cognitive score was 34 out of 35. The functionally based physical examination did not generally correlate with scores obtained on the FIM. Forty-eight (87%) patients had rehabilitation needs on admission. Forty-six (84%) patients had rehabilitation needs on discharge. Rehabilitation Needs Assessment on admission showed deconditioning in 42 (76%) patients; mobility impairment in 32 (58%) patients; a significant decrease in range of motion in 23 (42%) patients; deficits in activities of daily living in 12 (22%) patients; a need for recreational therapy in 7 (13%) patients; potential for benefit from patient education in 30 (55%) patients; and a need for modalities, edema control, or wound care in fever than 5% of patients. The most commonly requested recreational activity was reading.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients admitted to inpatient medical oncology units have many unmet, remediable rehabilitation needs that may not be recognized by nonrehabilitation physicians and other clinical staff. These findings suggest that assessment of medical oncology patients may be enhanced by consultation with rehabilitation medicine specialists.