Effect of an Internet-based telehealth system on functional capacity and cognition in breast cancer survivors: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

Purpose This trial determines the effect of an Internet-based tailored exercise program compared to usual care control for improving functional capacity and cognition among breast cancer survivors. Methods A two-arm, assessor-blinded, parallel, randomized controlled efficacy trial was conducted. Participants were recruited from the Oncology and Breast unit at the Virgen de las Nieves Hospital (Granada, Spain) between March 2012 to November 2013 and randomized to either the experimental group (an 8-week Internet-based tailored exercise program) or control group (usual care). The outcome measures were the 6-min walk test, Auditory Consonant Trigrams, and Trail Making Test. All were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up. Results After intervention, the telerehabilitation group had significantly improved distances ( d = 0.92, P