The effect of aerobic exercise-based telerehabitation programme on upper limb functionality, cognitive status and quality of life in survivors with breast cancer

This study was conducted to determine the effect of telerehabilitation-based aerobic exercises on upper extremity functionality, cognitive status and quality of life in survivors with breast cancer. The research is a randomised controlled mixed method study in which quantitative and qualitative research methods are used together. Sequential explanatory design was used (QUANTITATIVE→qualitative). The study included 69 breast cancer patients with survival period. Participants were divided into 3 groups by randomization: hospital, telerehabilitation and control. Patients in the hospital and telerehabilitation groups participated in aerobic exercise training 3 days a week for a total of 12 weeks. Patients in the control group continued their routine life. Upper extremity functionality; with the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Problems Questionnaire, cognitive function; with the Functional Assessment Scale-Cognitive Function in Cancer Patients, fatigue; with the Chronic Disease Treatment Functional Assessment Fatigue Scale; life quality; It was evaluated with the Cancer Research and Treatment Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core-30. The evaluations were performed before treatment, at 6 weeks, 12 weeks and 6 months. Significant improvement was observed in upper extremity functionality, cognitive function, fatigue and quality of life parameters of the patients in the telerehabilitation and hospital groups at 6 weeks and 12 weeks after exercise (p<0.05). At 6 months, it was observed that the participants in the exercise group maintained their gains. The telerehabilitation group was not superior to the hospital-based exercise group (p>0.05). No significant change was observed in the evaluations made in the control group (p>0.05). The qualitative data of the study supported the quantitative data. Qualitative data were obtained only from patients participating in the exercise group. A total of 44 patients, 22 from the hospital group and 22 from the telerehabilitation group, participated in the interview. Qualitative data showed that the telerehabilitation group achieved similar benefits compared to the hospital group in terms of physical condition, cognitive and mental status, and impact on daily/social life. However, patients in the telerehabilitation group reported less difficulty during the exercise experience. Our study showed that supervised telerehabilitation-based exercises can be used as an alternative to supervised hospital-based exercises.