Balance, Activity and Quality of Life

Background: Advanced cancer may cause functional limitations, subsequently leading to decreased ability to perform and engage in everyday activities, such as self-care, household, leisure and civic life. In addition, people with advanced cancer need alleviation from the pain and sorrow following limited life expectancy wherefore they prefer to focus on everyday life function and activities, lightness and enjoyment. The overall aim of the Balance, Activity and quality of Life (BAL) project is to develop, test and evaluate effectiveness and process of a resource-oriented intervention which coordinates rehabilitation and palliative care to enhance quality of life (QoL), balance and enjoyment in everyday activities and functioning. The development of the intervention is guided by the British Medical Research Council's guidance (MRC).

The present study consists of a resource-oriented intervention, which will be feasibility tested in the research clinic of REHPA, the Danish Knowledge Centre for Rehabilitation and Palliative Care. The study will inform the development of a resource-oriented program for people with advanced cancer.

Material and Methods: A feasibility study designed as a one-armed, pre-post study with follow-up after five days and again after 6 and 12 weeks. The study will recruit 20-25 home-living adults (⩾18 years) with chronic or advanced cancer reporting needs in everyday life.

Outcomes are quality of life, physical function and fatigue assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ C-30). Furthermore, balance in everyday activities will be assessed using the Occupational Balance Questionnaire 11 (OBQ-11).

Besides outcomes, process data will also be collected regarding: 1) fidelity, 2) adherence, 3) dose and 4) reach and mechanisms of impact with attention to participant's experiences of and interactions with the intervention. These data will be collected using registration forms, questionnaires, participant-observations and focus-group interviews.