Hanif, Subha

1587 Background: Rehabilitation services (physical medicine and rehabilitation [PM&R], physical therapy [PT], occupational therapy [OT], and speech-language pathology [SLP]) improve physical function, symptom burden, and quality of life for cancer survivors, yet utilization remains low due to persistent barriers. The collaborative care model–based Enhanced Electronic Health Record–Facilitated Cancer Symptom Control (E2C2) pragmatic trial improved symptom burden and palliative care utilization. Using post hoc exploratory analyses of population-level trial data, we evaluated whether this EHR-facilitated approach also increased rehabilitation service use. Methods: E2C2 was conducted across Mayo Clinic Midwest medical oncology practices using an unblinded, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized cohort design. The EHR-embedded intervention targeted SPPADE symptoms (sleep interference, pain, impaired physical function, anxiety, depression, and fatigue). Symptoms and physical function were assessed using 11-point numerical rating scales linked to oncology encounters. Patients received self-management materials for moderate symptoms (4–6/10) and care manager support for severe symptoms (7–10/10). All outpatient rehabilitation encounters across the Mayo Clinic Enterprise were abstracted. Mixed-effects Poisson models estimated intervention effects on rehabilitation visits during the first 365 days of exposure. Results: Between March 28, 2019, and January 31, 2023, 50,207 patients were enrolled. Intervention and control conditions included 31,719 and 28,938 patients, respectively, with 10,450 contributing data to both periods. Cross-sectionally, 25% of participants reported moderate and 9% severe physical function impairment. Of 91,220 rehabilitation encounters scheduled, 57,669 (63.3%) were completed. Completed encounters were predominantly PT (68.3%), followed by OT (16.4%), physician visits (9.4%), and SLP (4.2%). The intervention was associated with a more than fourfold increase in completed rehabilitation encounters during the six weeks following index symptom assessment (adjusted mean 2.22 [95% CI, 0.14–4.29] vs 0.54 [0.40–0.68]; incidence rate ratio 4.11 [1.43–11.82]; P =0.009). Scheduled encounters also favored the intervention but did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: An EHR-embedded symptom surveillance intervention increased short-term rehabilitation service completion, but overall utilization remained low relative to the prevalence of physical function impairment, highlighting the need for system-level strategies to translate symptom identification into sustained rehabilitation engagement.

1584 Background: Decades of evidence demonstrate that patients across the cancer continuum may benefit from validated rehabilitation services, yet delivery remains inconsistent. Prior reports of underuse have largely relied on small, single-site cohorts and have lacked population-level estimates of service need, referral, and visit completion, contributing to the assumption that provider reluctance to refer is a primary driver. Using post hoc exploratory analyses of population-level trial data, we evaluated patient- and system-level factors associated with non-use of rehabilitation services. Methods: This secondary analysis used data from the Enhanced Electronic Health Record–Facilitated Cancer Symptom Control (E2C2) pragmatic trial, an unblinded, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized cohort study comparing an EHR-embedded symptom surveillance and management system with usual care. All patients receiving care in Mayo Clinic Midwest medical oncology practices were enrolled regardless of cancer stage or phase. Symptoms and physical function were assessed using 11-point numerical rating scales linked to oncology encounters. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and all outpatient rehabilitation encounters across the Mayo Clinic Enterprise were extracted from the EHR. Rates and types of completed, canceled, and no-show rehabilitation encounters were examined. Results: Between March 28, 2019, and January 31, 2023, 50,207 patients were enrolled; 34% reported moderate or severe physical function impairment during follow-up. Despite this, only 8,818 patients (17.6%) completed at least one rehabilitation encounter. Of 91,220 encounters scheduled, 57,669 (63.3%) were completed (mean 6.5; median 3 per participant), leaving a substantial proportion canceled or no-showed (n=33,523, 36.7%). Completed encounters were predominantly physical therapy (68.3%), with fewer occupational therapy (16.4%), physician (9.4%), and speech therapy (4.2%) visits. Encounters were concentrated among patients with breast, hematologic, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary cancers. Completion was more likely among patients who were older, female, partnered, retired, and federally insured, whereas cancellations and no-shows were more common among younger, racial or ethnic minority, urban, unpartnered, employed, college-educated, and commercially insured patients (all P <0.001). Virtual visits and encounters in community (vs academic) settings were more likely to be completed (all P <0.001). Conclusions: A substantial gap persists between cancer survivors’ rehabilitation needs and service receipt, varying by cancer type and sociodemographic factors. High cancellation and no-show rates suggest that underuse extends beyond referral and underscore the need for redesigned, more accessible rehabilitation delivery models.

Abstract The transition from internship to residency represents an important period for trainees. However, little is known about self-assessed preparedness among physiatry trainees. This national cross-sectional exploratory survey of United States postgraduate year 2–4 physiatry residents aimed to examine self-reported preparedness at the start of postgraduate year 2. A total of 109 postgraduate year 2–4 residents completed this survey, with 57.8% (63/109) reporting feeling prepared to assume patient care responsibilities at the start of postgraduate year 2 and 42.2% (46/109) reporting feeling unprepared to do so. Specific internship experiences (e.g., developing comfort handling overnight calls and rapid responses), but not type of intern year (e.g., transitional year, preliminary internal medicine or surgery year, intern year included in a categorical physiatry residency program) may be associated with self-reported clinical preparedness. Further research is warranted to explore in more detail factors identified as potentially associated with self-assessed clinical preparedness, as well as opportunities to identify and address physiatry trainee needs.