Rehabilitation Planning Consult Phase II Trial
Rehabilitation Planning Consult Phase II Trial
The study will evaluate the efficacy of the Rehabilitation Planning Consult (RPC) to achieve
 key rehabilitation outcomes in survivors of head and neck cancer compared to a waiting list
 control group. The RPC is a consultative intervention that teaches survivors to use
 self-management and problem solving strategies to meet and attain individualized goals.
 Follow-through with plans and goal attainment are facilitated by a Rehabilitation Consultant.
 Results from this study will be used to plan for a larger multi-site trial and subsequent
 real world implementation.
Survivors of head and neck cancer (HNC) often have significant impairments, functional
 limitations, and reduced quality of life (QL). Rehabilitation services, such as
 speech-language pathology to improve swallowing, physiotherapy to improve neck mobility, and
 occupational therapy to enable return to work, can effectively reduce the impact of
 impairments, restore function, and improve QL. However, access to rehabilitation for
 survivors of HNC is extremely limited. A trans-professional self-management program is needed
 to provide resources, links to community providers, and instruction in problem-solving
 strategies. The program should fit seamlessly into the cancer care system with minimal
 additional resources. To meet these specifications, an innovative intervention, the
 Rehabilitation Planning Consult (RPC), was developed and evaluated. The RPC is delivered in 1
 to 2 sessions and, in a single arm pilot study, had a moderate to large effect on several
 aspects of QL and individualized goal attainment. It remains unknown whether the RPC is
 efficacious in comparison to standard care. In preparation for a Phase III trial, the effect
 of the RPC, as compared to a standard care control will be estimated, on HNC survivors' QL,
 attainment of individualized goals, and self-efficacy related to self-management. To
 facilitate recruitment and ensure ethical provision of services, participants will be
 randomized to a waiting list control (WLC) or RPC. Assessments will be conducted at three
 time points for the RPC group and four times for the WLC group. Based on pilot data,
 approximately 43% of the RPC group are expected to achieve a minimal important difference
 (MID) in QL, thus 56 participants per arm, 112 participants total, will be recruited. The
 primary outcome will be QL related to physical health, measured using the SF-36 Physical
 Component Summary Score (PCS). Secondary measures will include individualized goal
 performance measured using the Brief Rehabilitation Assessment for Survivors of HNC,
 disease-specific QL measured with the FACT-HN, and self-efficacy.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Survivor of head and neck cancer

 -  Completed treatment in the past 6 months

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Cognitive issues

 -  Communication issues

 -  Presence of major comorbidities