The Academy saw oncology clinical specialization become a reality with the first exam to be offered in March of 2019. The significant work to make this happen, such as creating the examination, overseeing the application and examination process, is ongoing and the work on maintenance has begun. Thank you to all the PTs who served as item writers and those pioneering PT's who applied to take the examination. To PTs seeking CEUs and for re-licensure or to assist with studying for the next specialty examination, I reported in the last issue the roll out of OncoReads(SM) under the leadership of senior editor, Mary Fisher, and in partnership with the APTA Learning Center. This effort provides members and non-members with the opportunity to earn 2 CEUs for reading a journal article and taking and passing a post-test through the APTA Learning Center. Look for the OncoReads(SM) logo and click. As a member of the Academy be sure to access the Journal from the Academy homepage by logging in, clicking on the publications tab, and selecting "view journal as a member." The Academy-related news such as regional courses for continuing education, call for award nominations, call for nominations for office, grant request for proposals/application are all located at different times of year in the digital content accessed from the Journal homepage.
If you do research or practice in palliative care and hospice, access the call for papers for the January 2020 special issue on palliative care and hospice (with guest editors Christopher Wilson and Richard Briggs) from the journal home page at https://journals.lww.com/rehabonc/pages/default.aspx The instructions for authors are located at http://www.editorialmanager.com/rehabonc/default.aspx .
This past November our third reader's survey was completed and the editorial board reviewed the results. Serendipity is a wonderful thing as the content of this issue addresses some of the feedback we received, such as the desire for more pediatric content, clinical content, and information about guidelines. The President's Perspective column by Steve Morris kicks off this issue by discussing the 2nd edition of the "Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans" released by the US Department of Health and Human Services in November. This is the first update to these guidelines since 2008 and Steve provides a companion podcast to the column. The Academy and Journal have made a lot of progress. However, as I was recently reminded, for clinicians, the challenges remain to implement models of care that are more effective and efficient, such as prospective surveillance and prehabilitation. We need all the contributions of our physical therapists and physical therapist assistants to our practice, research and education to continue to "Move Forward." This issue of the journal has a focus on clinical practice including:
a) 3 pediatrics-related articles including the hot off the press EDGE review on clinical outcome measures of pediatric pain, another article discussing "Screening for Early Childhood Intervention in Oncology" and an article that explores the impact of an exercise physiology intervention among adolescent and young adults diagnosed with cancer;
b) 3 articles related to balance and falls in older cancer survivors with Blackwood's article and podcast, "Influence of Cognitive Function on Balance, Mobility, and Falls in Older Cancer Survivors", leading this topic off, along with the digital-only, must-read research round-up and clinical conversation columns,
c) a digital-only case report which addresses differential diagnosis with musculoskeletal complaints,
d) a 10-year follow-up study of upper limb morbidity in patients undergoing a rehabilitation program after breast cancer surgery provides food for thought about late effects and the surveillance needed, and
e) A review of angiosarcomas which are a rarer primary cardiac tumor and the PT management.
In moving toward an online journal, we moved the case reports, clinical conversation and research round-up columns and CSM research abstracts to ONLINE-ONLY (digital) publications. Please access these valuable columns and reports for oncologic physical therapy knowledge translation from the journal home page in the current issue's Table of Contents (TOC including a case report entitled, "Differential Diagnosis: Orthopedic Injury or Oncologic Process- A Case Report"; the Research Round-up and Clinical Conversation column are must-read clinical practice contributions from the Academy's newest SIG, the Balance and Fall SIG. The Research Round-up column addresses "Screening and Examination of Fall Risk in Older Cancer Survivors." Min Huang is a Board-Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist and the SIG Secretary. The Clinical Conversation Column is entitled, "The Balance and Falls SIG is Here for You!" from Earllaine Croarkin, SIG Chair, and a Board Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist. Podcasts related to the journal are located on the podcast tab and we have an excellent podcast with this issue from Jen Blackwood related to the Influence of Cognitive Function on Balance, Mobility, and Falls in Older Cancer Survivors.
I hope you all had or are having wonderful spring breaks – a great time to do some reading in the journal or to do an OncoReads(SM) CEU. Cheers.
Lucinda (Cindy) Pfalzer, PT, PhD, FACSM, FAPTA*
*Editor of Oncology Rehabilitation and Emeriti Professor, Physical Therapy Department, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI
