Breast cancer survivors' perspectives on a clinical decision tool to facilitate individualized exercise prescriptions within clinical settings.

Abstract

e13715 Background: Current clinical guidelines recommend that clinicians provide individualized exercise prescriptions to cancer survivors. However, there are no clinical decision tools to support individualized exercise prescriptions considering individual clinical and demographic characteristics of breast cancer survivors. We aimed to gather breast cancer survivors’ perspectives on a prototype of a clinical decision tool to support individualized exercise prescriptions in clinical settings. Methods: A racially and ethnically diverse sample of breast cancer survivors across the U.S. were recruited to complete an online survey. Survey items were adapted from validated pre-existing instruments and refined via cognitive interviews with survivors and healthcare providers. Within the survey, survivors were presented with images of a prototype of the tool with an accompanying explanation of the tool’s potential functionality. The tool prototype was developed with input from breast cancer survivors, mathematic modelers, exercise specialists, and clinicians according to the Collaborative Deliberation Model. The tool was designed to generate breast cancer outcomes associated with various levels of exercise based on individual characteristics of the breast cancer survivors. Survivors were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed that: (I) the tool would be useful; (II) what they would use the tool for (e.g., education); and (III), the tool should include certain characteristics (e.g., exercise benefits). The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Ninety-eight breast cancer survivors responded to the survey. Most agreed that a tool would be useful (84.7%) and increase their confidence to discuss exercise with a healthcare provider (74.5%). The highest agreement for tool uses was found for education (84.1%) and encouragement to exercise (79.3%). Improving the ability to do everyday tasks (74.0%), quality-of-life (72.6%), and energy (71.4%) were rated as the top exercise benefits to include in a tool. Agreement on tool usefulness, uses, and tool characteristics varied by breast cancer survivors’ demographic, clinical, and contextual characteristics. Conclusions: This evidence-based clinical decision tool offering individualized exercise prescriptions may help diverse breast cancer survivors engage in discussions and shared decision-making about exercise with healthcare providers in clinical settings.