Telehealth interventions and functional outcomes in breast cancer rehabilitation: A systematic review

BackgroundTelehealth might be considered a potential approach in breast cancer (BC) rehabilitation, addressing the multidimensional challenges in the long-term management of BC survivors. However, there is still a gap of knowledge about the potential tools in rehabilitation field. Therefore, this study assessed the impact of telehealth interventions on functional outcomes and quality of life in BC survivors.MethodsA systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane, and PEDro databases was conducted on January 2nd, 2024, identifying randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on telehealth in BC rehabilitation. The outcomes included were: functional outcomes, quality of life indicators, and patient satisfaction. Quality appraisal utilized the Jadad scale, and the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoBv.2) evaluated study integrity.ResultsFrom 122 screened studies, 14 RCTs were included, encompassing 1605 BC survivors. Telehealth interventions were heterogeneous, including virtual exercise programs, remote monitoring, online material and learning platform, wearable devices and teleconsultations; interventions lasted from 8 weeks to 12 months. Ten papers assessed quality of life, measured through questionnaires such as Short Form Health Survey 36, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy, Quality of Life-Core 30, Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System and Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Survivors Scale. Five of the papers reported significant improvements in terms of quality of life (p < 0.05) compared to control group. Three papers involved remote weight-loss interventions, with 2 studies reporting both significant within-group and between-groups weight differences (p< 0.001). Two papers reported significant changes in 6 Minutes-Walking Test, from baseline and control group (< 0.001). Patient satisfaction with telehealth was high across the studies.ConclusionsTelehealth interventions might be considered a promising tool in enhancing functional outcomes and quality of life for BC survivors undergoing rehabilitation. Future research is needed to optimize telehealth protocols to improve long-term rehabilitation outcomes in breast cancer survivors.Legal entity responsible for the studyM. Invernizzi.FundingHas not received any funding.DisclosureAll authors have declared no conflicts of interest.