Chronic Illn. 2021 Sep 13:17423953211039783. doi: 10.1177/17423953211039783. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of occupational therapist-/physiotherapist-guided fatigue self-management for individuals with chronic conditions.
METHODS: Eight databases, including MEDLINE and EMBASE, were searched until September 2019 to identify relevant studies. Randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies of self-management interventions specifically developed or delivered by occupational therapists/physiotherapists to improve fatigue symptoms of individuals with chronic conditions were included. A narrative synthesis and meta-analysis were conducted to determine the effectiveness of fatigue self-management.
RESULTS: Thirty-eight studies were included, and fatigue self-management approaches led by occupational therapists/physiotherapists were divided into six categories based on the intervention focus: exercise, energy conservation, multimodal programmes, activity pacing, cognitive-behavioural therapy, and comprehensive fatigue management. While all exercise programmes reported significant improvement in fatigue, other categories showed both significant improvement and no improvement in fatigue. Meta-analysis yielded a standardised mean difference of the overall 13 studies: 0.42 (95% confidence interval:-0.62 to – 0.21); standardised mean difference of the seven exercise studies was -0.55 (95% confidence interval: -0.78 to -0.31).
DISCUSSION: Physical exercises inspired by the self-management principles may have positive impacts on fatigue symptoms, quality of life, and other functional abilities.
PMID:34515530 | DOI:10.1177/17423953211039783
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