Gunn Ammitzbøll, Sabine Felser, Kathrin Thiele, Hugo Murua Escobar, Aelita Bredelytė, Jan Arnholtz Overgaard, Zofia Sotomska, Hanna Lotzke, Carl Johan Orre, Bartłomiej Baumert, Niels Henrik Holländer, Christian Junghanß, Katarzyna Gierat-Haponiuk, Anna Jamrowska, Dariusz Szplit, Susanne Oksbjerg Dalton
Findings from the AMBeR eRehab study will inform future efforts to digitize cancer rehabilitation while ensuring that inequities are not reproduced.
BACKGROUND: Research in exercise oncology has consistently provided evidence supporting the integration of exercise into all phases of cancer care. However, less is known about how this can be implemented across different patient populations and healthcare settings. This study aims to generate knowledge about the equitable implementation of digitally supported physical rehabilitation during and after systemic cancer treatment through feasibility testing in 5 South Baltic countries. Methodology. This study is part of the gAMBeRh project (Advanced Modeling of Baltic E-cancer caRe) and is an international, multicenter, prospective study with a hybrid implementation-effectiveness design. It includes 2 single-arm feasibility trials, each aiming to enroll 30 patients undergoing systemic treatment and 30 patients who have completed systemic treatment or are receiving long-term or life-prolonging treatment at each participating site, for a total of 300 adult cancer patients. All tumor groups are eligible, and participants must be .18 years of age. We will use the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to structure data collection and reporting. Additionally, Group Concept Mapping will be used to evaluate determinants of participation among patients and determinants of intervention delivery among healthcare professionals (HCPs). Enrollment began in September 2024 and is expected to be completed by December 2026. Discussion. While digital solutions have the potential to overcome barriers to integrating exercise into oncology care, inequitable implementation may inadvertently exacerbate disparities in cancer rehabilitation if these innovations remain inaccessible to patients with fewer resources. By evaluating reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance, as well as the determinants of participation among patients and HCPs, this study will contribute to the evidence base on the implementation of digitally supported physical rehabilitation in cancer care.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the AMBeR eRehab study will inform future efforts to digitize cancer rehabilitation while ensuring that inequities are not reproduced.