College and Community Connect for Cancer Survivors: Exercise Science and Physical Therapy Student Learning
Purpose: For health science students, involvement in interprofessional education (IPE) provides an opportunity for collaboration, improves students’ knowledge of the roles of other professions, and may improve student readiness for clinical practice. Current IPE opportunities that seek to promote collaboration between exercise and sports science (ESS) and physical therapy (PT) students are minimal to non-existent. Optimal rehabilitation for the cancer survivor requires an interdisciplinary approach to care with emphasis on promoting physical activity. It is recommended that trained professionals, such as PTs or exercise specialists, provide initial exercise prescriptions secondary to treatment side effects. Given the prevalence of this diagnosis, ESS and PT students will inevitably work with this population in their careers. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of student learning during their involvement in an interdisciplinary fitness program for cancer survivors.
Methods/Description: Faculty members in the ESS and PT departments developed an on-campus individualized fitness program for local cancer survivors. Each cancer survivor was paired with a team of exercise specialists including one PT student, one ESS student, and one PT or ESS faculty member. With faculty oversight, the students were responsible for conducting an initial and final assessment, designing and instructing an exercise program, and maintaining regular follow up with their respective participant. They also attended an educational presentation on oncology rehabilitation prior to program initiation. The students’ self-reported knowledge of the impact of a cancer diagnosis and the role of each profession was examined before and after participation using a mixed-methods methodology. Quantitative data analysis was performed using a Wilcoxon signed- rank test and qualitative data was analyzed by identifying themes in response to open-ended questions and a final focus group.
Results/Outcomes: 13 students completed the study (7 PT and 6 ESS). On the survey, improvements were found in the students’ knowledge of impairments and activity limitations post cancer diagnosis (p=.031), designing of a fitness program for the cancer survivor (p=.002), and understanding of the PT role (0.004). Thematic analysis found that students reported an increased knowledge of cancer diagnoses and treatment side effects which can impact a person’s function and quality of life. By working as a team, students recognized how each profession complements the other and that collaborative practice is beneficial in designing an optimal program for this population. Students also reported the importance of implementing client goals into their plan and that when this was done compliance improved.
Conclusions/Relevance to the conference theme: Student participation in a fitness program for cancer survivors was successful in achieving the goals of IPE including improving understanding of the collaborative rehabilitation process into cancer survivorship and identifying the clinical implications following a cancer diagnosis. This program provided students with a unique clinical opportunity while simultaneously offering a valuable service to the community.