Telehealth-Supported Physical Activity Among Veterans With a History of Lung Cancer: Protocol for a Single-Arm Feasibility Study

IntroductionLung cancer is among the top three most frequently diagnosed cancers, and the leading cause of cancer-related death among United States veterans. Improved screening and treatment for lung cancer has led to an increasing number of survivors, but many still face a persistent decline in physical function and overall quality of life. Exercise can improve outcomes, but most structured and supervised programs are delivered in hospital-based settings. Veterans often face substantial barriers to participation in these programs, including comorbid chronic illness, geographic isolation, and transportation challenges. Therefore, this study will examine the feasibility and acceptability of delivering a telehealth-supported home-based exercise intervention to improve physical activity and quality of life for veterans who are lung cancer survivors.MethodsA protocol for a single-arm, nonrandomized, prospective feasibility pilot. Up to 15 veterans diagnosed with lung cancer will be recruited from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System for a three-month intervention. Participants will choose a single low-intensity telehealth exercise from the VA's MOVE!® Coach App and wear an activity tracker (Fitbit). Semi-structured qualitative interviews will be conducted at three points in the study. Participants will have the option to simultaneously participate in VA's Whole Health coaching and will be asked to share their data via VA's Share My Health Data App. Primary outcomes will measure feasibility, acceptability, and perceived appropriateness of the intervention. Secondary exploratory outcomes will examine changes in physical activity and health-related quality of life; while improvements are anticipated, this study is not powered to detect statistically significant differences. Descriptive statistics will be calculated. Qualitative interviews will be audio recorded and analyzed using directed content analysis methods. Ethical approval was obtained from VA Boston Institutional Review Board.ConclusionTelehealth-supported exercise represents a promising method for improving survivorship care for veterans with lung cancer and other diverse oncology populations.