Practice patterns and experiences of pediatric rehabilitation medicine physicians in cancer rehabilitation.

Background: Pediatric cancer rehabilitation is a growing field, and pediatric rehabilitation medicine physicians play an important role in the care continuum for children and adolescents with cancer. However, the current practice patterns and experiences of pediatric physiatrists in cancer rehabilitation are not well known.

Objective: To evaluate the status of pediatric cancer rehabilitation care by board-certified pediatric physiatrists in the United States, including their practice pattern, experience, and comfort level in cancer-related conditions.

Design: An online 37-question Research Electronic Data Capture survey was developed by members of a pediatric cancer rehabilitation committee of a national physiatry organization. Descriptive data analysis was performed.

Setting: Survey invitations were sent via email to potential participants and posted on social media sites, including an online physiatry community forum and a pediatric physiatrist private group.

Patients (or participants): Targeted participants were board-certified pediatric physiatrists who treat pediatric patients with cancer diagnoses.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main outcome measure(s): Survey questions pertained to respondents' practice setting and patient population, type of cancer rehabilitation provided, presence of a cancer rehabilitation program at their institution, and their learning experience in pediatric cancer rehabilitation.

Results: A total of 107 board-certified pediatric physiatrists completed the survey, representing 57 institutions in the United States, the majority of which were academic centers (n = 95; 88.8%). Ninety-seven (90.7%) reported their practice consisted of >75% pediatric patients, and 95 (88.8%) indicated <25% pediatric patients in the practice have cancer diagnoses. Forty respondents representing 19 institutions (33.3%) reported an established cancer rehabilitation program at their institution, though of these, 23 (57.5%) indicated that more improvement to their program was needed. Sixty-three respondents (58.9%) gained experience in cancer rehabilitation from fellowship, 51 (47.7%) from residency, and 47 (43.9%) from mentorship; majority (n = 102; 95.3%) also learned from self-study or on the job. Participants' comfort level on cancer-related conditions varied.

Conclusions: This survey, aimed at board-certified pediatric physiatrists who practice pediatric cancer rehabilitation, highlights the variety in training experiences and practice exposure among respondents. Concomitant with this was a variance in reported comfort levels in treating the different cancer-related diagnoses. This raises for discussion what training opportunities might be strengthened as the subspeciality continues to grow.