Development of tele-lifestyle-based multidisciplinary survivorship program for gynecologic oncology practice

We assessed the recruitment and retention of a short 8-week telemedicine-based group peri-habilitation program for gynecologic cancer survivors. Multidisciplinary team included: a gynecologic oncologist with additional board certification by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, cancer-specific nutritionist, culinary medicine chef, physical therapist, exercise physiologists, mental health counselor, body image aesthetician, pelvic floor therapist, and sex therapist. Pre- and post-self-administered questionnaires assessed conformity to lifestyle medicine pillars and a general medical symptom questionnaire (MSQ). Recruitment was suboptimal (11.7%). Neither provider referrals nor flyers sufficiently directed patients to the program, but those that completed the program expressed meaningful impact on lifestyle behavioral change and improved quality-of-life across multiple parameters including MSQ (40.0 vs 20.75) and 85% participants reported compliance with recommendations. This pilot program suggests that a multidisciplinary tele-lifestyle-based survivorship program beyond just diet and exercise to improve quality-of-life in gynecologic cancer survivors, though novel and well received, needs physician buy-in and enhanced marketing strategies.