Project lead: Emma Verwaaijen
RPM-SIG Co-Chairs: Abu Sidhanee and Pia Delano
In Fall 2023, the SIOP Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine Special Interest Group (SIG), which is part of the SIOP Supportive Care Network, received a funding support from the SIOP Senior Management Team for an 11-month project.
The project aims to:
- Establish a strong network to represent global pediatric oncology rehabilitation needs and foster international collaboration by bringing together pediatric oncology rehabilitation experts for a two-day strategic planning session.
- Provide an overview of current pediatric oncology rehabilitation strategies, define pediatric oncology rehabilitation and its providers, outline short- and long-term goals, and identify and prioritize research gaps globally.
Progress to date: For Aim 1, we successfully held a two-day strategic planning session on May 18th and 19th, 2024, in Turin, Italy. The event brought together 39 physical medicine and rehabilitation professionals from 19 countries across 6 continents. Among the 27 experts who participated in focus groups, 15% (4/27) were from upper-middle-income countries (UMICs) and 11% (3/27) were from lower-middle-income countries (LMICs).
During the meeting, we organized three rounds of structured focus groups to address Aim 2 of the project:
- Focus Group 1: Collected information on key aspects of pediatric oncology rehabilitation, clinical goals, and the essential professionals needed to support a child with cancer.
- Focus Group 2: Discussed key areas for improvement, clinical gaps, and research gaps, with individual input followed by group consensus on the top five priorities.
- Focus Group 3: Focused on the “dream outcome” for the RPM-SIG envisioned by participants, including goals and practical steps toward achieving them.
In addition to this in-person meeting, we distributed an online survey to assess current pediatric oncology physical medicine and rehabilitation practices worldwide. These data are being analyzed by one of the project members, and a first report/manuscript is currently in progress. We expect to share these results soon.
Next Steps: We are currently working on the analysis and writing of the focus group results, which will serve as the core foundation for our Rehabilitation in Pediatric Oncology (RPM-SIG) group. All focus group discussions were recorded and are being analyzed during the project members’ available time.
Photo of all Turin attendees in may 2024
