Assistive Devices for Addressing Mobility Impairments Linked to Cancer and Cancer Treatment: An Expert Perspective

Objectives

Cancer survivors often experience mobility impairments that negatively impact their ability to engage in everyday activities. Healthcare providers working with patients in the continuum of cancer care play essential roles in identifying and addressing mobility impairments. The objective of this article is to present common assistive devices valuable in managing cancer and cancer treatment-related mobility impairments.

Methods

Peer-reviewed scientific publications and expert opinions.

Results

This article highlights assistive devices commonly used in various settings of cancer care and describes how they address different impairments faced by cancer survivors. The information presented can potentially serve as a resource when training clinical staff (eg, oncology nursing staff) on device provision across all settings. The information can also be useful for patients and caregivers to learn about potential functional impairments linked to cancer and treatments and assistive devices that can be useful to improve patients’ functional capacity and reduce caregiver burden.

Conclusion

It is essential to involve different team members to identify and select the most appropriate assistive devices that match the patient's functional needs and physical capacity and to train them in device use so they can safely carry out their daily routine.

Implications for Nursing Practice

Oncology nurses are one of the first providers to identify mobility impairments in cancer patients. This article will help increase their knowledge in common assistive devices valuable for addressing various mobility impairments associated with cancer and treatments. With additional training on device provision, oncology nurses will be more empowered to collaborate with rehabilitation to identify potential mobility impairments, initiate device provision, and encourage their patients to work with therapy services. Ultimately this could reduce injuries linked to mobility impairments and improve the patient's functional independence and overall quality of life.