Andrea Mangion and Neil Piller

Key words

      Lymphoedema, eHealth, mHealth, telehealth Andrea Mangion is a Cancer and Lymphoedema Physiotherapist, Educator and PhD Candidate in the Lymphoedema Clinical Research Unit, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. Professor Neil Piller is the Director of the Lymphoedema Clinical Research Unit, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.

Declaration of interest: None

Abstract

      While electronic health (eHealth) has been gaining in popularity in recent years, its adoption was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, when restrictions on in-person consultations compelled healthcare practitioners to turn to modalities such as telehealth for patient management. There are numerous potential benefits of using eHealth in lymphoedema management, including improved access to care, better tracking of symptoms and enhanced options for patient engagement and empowerment. As healthcare practitioners continue to prioritise patient-centred care, with an emphasis on putting the patient’s needs first and making treatment as accessible as possible, eHealth offers a promising opportunity to improve lymphoedema care. This article provides an overview of eHealth, explores a classification system for the various forms of eHealth, discusses the rationale for using eHealth, and proposes future research directions in lymphoedema care.

Patricia B Hotaling is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Nebraska, USA. She is an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist;

Joyce Black is a Professor of Nursing at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Nebraska, USA; Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and clinical editor of Wounds International

Andrea Damato, Aleksandra Rovnaya and Polly McGuigan

Abstract

      The inclusion of resistance training in the care of patients with upper limb lymphoedema is an understudied developing concept. The study investigated the safety and effectiveness of adding a moderate/high intensity resisted exercise (RE) programme for 6 weeks on arm circumference, muscular strength and quality of life (QoL) measure in patients with breast cancer-related lymphoedema. This study included 35 patients with a history of breast cancer who were in phase two of their lymphoedema rehabilitation. They were assigned to either the intervention (n=18) or control (n=17) groups. The intervention consisted of resistance band exercises four times a week for 6 weeks. Limb circumference measurements, muscular strength, Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH), Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and Lymphoedema Quality of Life (LYMQOL) questionnaires were administered at baseline and at 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, the intervention group demonstrated statistically significant differences (p<0.01) in the DASH and LYMQOL scores. There was a significant change in UL and LL strength between both groups (p<0.05). Unexpectedly, there was a significant decrease in UL measurements in the hand, forearm, elbow and proximal arm in the intervention group (p<0.05). The results indicate that RE demonstrates a positive effect on arm function, symptoms and QoL without increasing arm volume in breast cancer-related lymphoedema.

Key words

Breast cancer, quality of life, resisted exercise

      Andrea Damato is Physiotherapist, PhysioLympha. Aleksandra Rovnaya is Doctor, PhysioLympha. Polly McGuigan is Head of Department, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK. Declaration of interest: None.

      Ethical approval: The study was approved by REACH (EP 20/21 103), University of Bath, UK and by the Russian Lymphology Association where the study was conducted.

Peta Tehan and Neil Piller

Peta Tehan is Lecturer in the Master of Wound Care,Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia; Neil Piller is Director, Lymphoedema Clinical Research Unit, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia