Occupational Therapy’s Role with Oncology in the Acute Care Setting: A Descriptive Case Study

Abstract

As individuals with cancer actively undergo medical treatment, they often experience profound impairments and side-effects that impact their physical and psychosocial functioning and well-being. As occupational therapy practitioners working in acute care, challenges when working with those with oncological diseases may include high acuity, impact on multiple body systems, and fluctuating symptom presentation and levels of function. Thus, it is critical for occupational therapy practitioners to be skilled in identifying and addressing the distinct needs of cancer survivors in the acute care setting. This manuscript presents a descriptive case study to highlight occupational therapy’s role in cancer rehabilitation in the acute care setting.

Keywords:

• Acute care
• cancer rehabilitation
• occupational therapy
• oncology

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stacey Morikawa

Stacey Morikawa, OTD, OTR/L, CLT serves as an Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy in the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and provides direct patient care at Keck Medical Center of USC. She works with patients of varying diagnoses at Keck Hospital and serves as the occupational therapy clinical lead at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, treating patients with oncological diseases across the continuum of care. Her clinical work has focused on program development for individuals undergoing bone marrow transplant, acute management of edema and lymphedema as a certified lymphedema therapist, and expansion of occupational therapy services across the care continuum and with sub-populations in oncology.

Yasaman Amanat

Yasaman Amanat, OTD, OTR/L, CLT currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy in the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. She also serves a clinical faculty member at Keck Medical Center of USC where she provides direct patient care in acute and outpatient rehabilitation settings focusing on occupational therapy programming for patients affected by oncological diseases.