Professional Roles of Oncologic Specialty Physical Therapists in the United States

Abstract

Background: Oncologic specialty physical therapists (OncPTs) are a growing discipline in the cancer workforce. The complexities of cancer care delivery and the multidimensional nature of cancer care teams require oncology providers to serve in professional roles beyond clinical care. This project aims to assess the professional roles that OncPTs play in cancer care delivery. Methods: A 27-item survey was developed by the Oncologic Specialty Council of the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and sent electronically to board-certified oncologic clinical specialists in the United States. The survey was open for 45 days. Demographics of the population and frequency data were analyzed in Qualtrics. Results: Fifty-seven complete surveys were received out of 106 eligible specialists (response rate 53%). Respondents were predominantly female (91%) and White (78%). Fifty-six percent (n = 32) had greater than 15 years of practice experience and 68% (n = 39) held DPTs. Seventy-three percent reported greater than 50% of their work week dedicated to oncology practice and 52.6% reported providing consultations or treatment in the physical space of a cancer center. All respondents have been board-certified OncPTs for at least 1 year. Providing clinical care accounted for 71% of the cohorts' work time and 14% was spent in program development (outside of clinical care). Specialists reported oncology-specific program development responsibilities across 3 themes: workforce development (mentoring and teaching peers and staff), establishing clinical practice standards (standardizing assessment tools and clinical pathways), and program assessment (quality improvement and research). The OncPT professional roles included leadership responsibilities within their health system (n = 24) and leadership or committee roles in rehabilitation-specific professional organizations (n = 55). No respondents reported serving in roles regarding research mentorship or advising on state policy or payer issues, and 1 respondent identified a role in advising on federal policy issues. Conclusion: Oncologic specialty physical therapists primarily serve clinical patient care roles. Aside from clinical practice, program development roles focus on rehabilitation-centric staff and student education and clinical pathways for rehabilitation care delivery. However, at the cancer care delivery system level, participation in professional roles beyond the rehabilitation clinic is less frequent. Gaps in participation are identified at the societal level with no representation from this cohort in payment and policy initiatives at the state and federal levels. We provide a roadmap to action that describes multilevel interventions to improve the integration of OncPTs into cancer care delivery. These findings may inform competencies for clinical specialists and guide residency program development.