Home › Research › Health systems and care delivery
Occupational therapy practice in oncology care: Results from a survey
Leah I. Stein Duker, Alix G. Sleight. Nursing and Health Sciences, 2018-10-21
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The everyday landscape of occupational therapy (OT) in oncology is underexplored, hindering targeted improvements. The purpose of the present study was to identify the OT interventions commonly provided and reimbursed in oncology. A survey utilizing snowball sampling was disseminated online to OT working in oncology care; 167 surveys were received from 21 states in the United States. Results found that over 90% of therapists reported focusing on physical impairment, weakness, fatigue, and activities of daily living. Interventions for emotional/social support, self-advocacy, quality of life, lifestyle management, and cognitive impairment were not directly billed. More than 90% of therapists reported that, in the absence of barriers, they would address quality of life, emotional difficulties, lifestyle management, and home safety. Overall, the findings suggested that OT in the United States primarily provide physical interventions for oncology patients. However, they also provide psychosocial services and client/caregiver education, but often do not bill directly for this care. Reimbursement structures should be modified to allow for the direct billing of mental/psychosocial and educational interventions in OT for cancer care.
Key findings
- Results found that over 90% of therapists reported focusing on physical impairment, weakness, fatigue, and activities of daily living.
- Overall, the findings suggested that OT in the United States primarily provide physical interventions for oncology patients.
Why it matters
This survey described occupational therapy practice in oncology care, noting that cognitive impairment interventions were not directly billed. It concerns cancer care rather than Alzheimer's disease, so it has no direct implications for treating, curing or preventing dementia.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 35/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Nursing and Health Sciences) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Nursing and Health Sciences: journal h-index 83 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2018 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 14 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 1.4 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 3 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Alix G. Sleight: h-index 16 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | National Cancer Institute: institution h-index 1,612 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30345585) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 35 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Duker, L. I. S., & Sleight, A. G. (2018). Occupational therapy practice in oncology care: Results from a survey. Nursing and Health Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12576
Vancouver
Duker LIS, Sleight AG. Occupational therapy practice in oncology care: Results from a survey. Nursing and Health Sciences. 2018. doi:10.1111/nhs.12576. PMID: 30345585.
BibTeX
@article{duker2018-30345585,
author = {Duker, Leah I. Stein and Sleight, Alix G.},
title = {{Occupational therapy practice in oncology care: Results from a survey}},
journal = {Nursing and Health Sciences},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1111/nhs.12576},
pmid = {30345585},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12576}
}
Related studies in Health systems and care delivery
Also in Health systems and care delivery
172 studies in the library are filed under Health systems and care delivery with no topic tag they share with another; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed tour of them. The Health systems and care delivery hub.