Patient Experiences of a Telehealth Multidisciplinary CancerRehabilitation Programme: Qualitative Findings from theReStOre@Home Feasibility Study

Purpose. Multidisciplinary rehabilitation programmes providing exercise, nutrition support, education, and peer support canefectively meet the rehabilitation needs of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer survivors. Tis study aimed to explore theexperiences of participants who engaged in a telehealth, multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme for UGI cancer survivors.Methods. Tis single-arm feasibility study recruited participants who completed curative treatment for UGI cancer. Participants(n = 10, male = 9) aged 58–76 years were 5–17 months postsurgery. A 12-week telehealth rehabilitation programme was delivered via video call, consisting of group resistance training, remotely monitored aerobic training, 1:1 dietary counselling, 1:1 physiotherapy support, and group education sessions. Independent researchers conducted semistructured interviews at post-intervention assessments. Transcripts were analysed using refexive thematic analysis (RTA). Results. RTA of participanttranscripts generated three overarching themes: (1) ReStOre@Home impacted psychosocial and physical needs by addressinga broad and meaningful gap in services, (2) paving a pathway towards prosperity, and (3) contrasting experiences with usingtechnology. Participants’ preferences and recommendations for future telehealth programmes were discussed. Conclusions. A telehealth multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme supported participants in physical and psychosocial recovery. Qualitative analysis identifed an important ongoing need for some in-person care and provided detailed insights into participant experiences during telehealth-delivered rehabilitation.