Trajectories of disability in activities of daily living in advanced cancer or respiratory disease: a systematic review.

Increasing disability trajectories in advanced cancer and/or respiratory disease is related to potentially modifiable personal and environmental factors. We recommend future studies using validated disability instruments.Implications for rehabilitationDisability in activities of daily living (ADL) is a common unmet need in advanced cancer or respiratory disease and represents an important outcome for patients, caregivers and health and social care services.Trajectories of ADL disability can be categorized into increasing, fluctuating, and unchanging disability, which could help planning of rehabilitation services in advanced cancer or respiratory disease.Increasing disability in advanced cancer or respiratory disease relates to personal and environmental factors as well as bodily impairments, which can all be modifiable by intervention.This review highlights implications for the measurement of ADL disability in advanced cancer or respiratory disease and recommends use of validated measures of ADL to understand what factors can be modified through rehabilitation interventions.