Telerehabilitation programmes for patients with cancer and survivors: a protocol for a systematic review

INTRODUCTION: The global cancer burden is a major public health problem. Cancer rehabilitation is an essential component of survivorship care for preventing complications, decreasing symptoms and improving functional quality of life (QOL). In addition to pre-existing challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected cancer rehabilitation programmes and their delivery to patients. This comprehensive systematic review will assess the efficacy and safety of telerehabilitation on functional outcomes and QOL in patients with cancer and survivors. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. The following key electronic bibliographic databases will be searched from their inception to April 2021: MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). We will include randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in English that examine the effects of telerehabilitation programmes on patients with cancer and survivors. The terms ‘telerehabilitation’, ‘neoplasm’, ‘RCT’ and their analogous terms will be used in our search strategy. Two reviewers will independently complete the study screening, selection, data extraction and quality rating. The PEDro scale will be used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Narrative or quantitative synthesis will be conducted on the basis of the final data. The planned start and end dates for the study are 1 March 2021 and 1 May 2022, respectively. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval will not be required for this review, and the results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021243467.