Cancer Rehabilitation Competencies: A National Delphi Study
Sara Christensen Holz, Jennifer Hayter, Celeste Newstrom, Laura Prince, Joanna Collins, Aneesha ViraniBackground:
Current cancer rehabilitation training and education are fragmented and inconsistent. There are no standardized competencies for entry-level providers in rehabilitation disciplines who treat patients with a diagnosis of cancer. The purpose of this study was to develop consensus regarding cancer rehabilitation competencies for entry-level providers.
Methods:
Delphi methodology was used in a national, web-based survey design. Three surveys (N = 177, 176, 148) were sent to members of rehabilitation professional associations. Survey 1 topics were developed by the American Congress of Rehabilitation and Medicine Cancer Networking Group (ACRM CRNG) based on a literature review and current curricula. Likert-formatted responses from 1 (not important) to 5 (most important) were recorded. Topics receiving a median score of ≥4 from Survey 1 were included in Survey 2. For Survey 2, each participant identified 3 topics important to their discipline for each item. The results were reviewed, and similar responses were grouped together to develop Survey 3. Participants were asked to rank the responses in Survey 3 on the same Likert scale used in Survey 1.
Results:
Survey 1 had 6 topics that did not reach a median score of ≥4, and those topics were excluded from Survey 2. The results of Survey 2 were used to develop Survey 3. Survey 3 noted significant differences between professions in certain topics, especially those related to speech and language therapy, but continued to note the significance of these topics.
Conclusion:
This Delphi study is an important step in providing a framework for the standardization of cancer rehabilitation competencies.