Parent Perspectives on Physical Therapy for Their Child with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Many children with cancer referred to physical therapy (PT) do not attend the service. We conducted a pilot study, comprising a cross-sectional survey and interviews with parents of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The survey explored parents' (1) views on PT service delivery for their child, (2) perspectives on barriers and facilitators, (3) preferred timing to introduce PT, and (4) views on virtual services. Questions were designed based on the Theoretical Domains Framework, and responses were mapped onto the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior Change Model. Twenty parents participated in the survey. Although all parents would consider their child accessing PT if deficits were present, access depended on a convenient location (70%) and availability of virtual delivery (45%). While half of the parents preferred PT treatment to be introduced during the maintenance phase of chemotherapy, findings also support earlier introduction during the consolidation phase when services are framed as part of standard care. While most parents perceived that it would be manageable to support home-based PT, barriers included a lack of child's motivation without therapist support. Seven parents participated in semi-structured interviews. They identified time constraints, distance, and costs as common barriers. Most parents responded positively to hybrid PT models and connections with community locations to mitigate these challenges.