{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T18:07:45Z","timestamp":1780337265392,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780272000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Department for the Economy - CAST Studentship","award":["NA"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NA"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"\n Introduction<\/jats:title>\n Breast cancer incidence rates are rising due to early detection, improved screening methods and advances in treatment options. As mortality rates reduce, there is a growing population living longer with treatment side-effects who require assistance. Prevalent issues arising after breast cancer treatment include pain, fatigue, lymphoedema and arm and shoulder mobility issues. Evidence demonstrates that upper limb exercises help reduce these common side effects and improve day-to-day functioning and quality of life. However, access to physiotherapy and rehabilitation services remains limited due to resource and access constraints. Despite a growing interest in digital health resources, little is known about the effectiveness of using digital exercise interventions to help resolve this problem.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods and analysis<\/jats:title>\n A scoping review of available literature will be undertaken to explore what digital or online prehabilitation or rehabilitation interventions exist for people with breast cancer that incorporate an exercise component aimed at improving physical function or mobility. Peer-reviewed studies in English will be eligible for inclusion. A systematic search of Medline ALL, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science will be conducted and any relevant grey literature form trusted sources will also be included in our review. The Arksey and O\u2019Malley framework will be applied together with updated guidance from other authors. To enhance rigour, the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews will also be used to ensure accurate reporting. Articles will be screened by title and abstract against eligibility criteria before independent full text screening by two researchers. Arising conflicts will be resolved by consulting a third reviewer. To summarise the available evidence, data will be extracted using a tailored charting template and a descriptive narrative synthesis will follow.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Ethics and dissemination<\/jats:title>\n As this research involves the analysis of already published, peer-reviewed literature, ethical approval is not required. The results of this scoping review will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Any significant deviations from the original protocol will be transparently reported and justified.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0350300","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T17:31:37Z","timestamp":1780335097000},"page":"e0350300","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Digital exercise interventions to improve physical functioning of people with breast cancer: Protocol for a scoping review"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-1281-6143","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Katherine A.","family":"Mankelow","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sean","family":"O\u2019Connor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Olinda","family":"Santin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4379-6312","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Nicole E.","family":"Blackburn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Iseult M.","family":"Wilson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0350300.ref001","first-page":"209","article-title":"Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries","volume":"71","author":"H Sung","year":"2021","journal-title":"CA Cancer J Clin"},{"key":"pone.0350300.ref002","unstructured":"National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Early and locally advanced breast cancer: diagnosis and management. 2025. https:\/\/www.nice.org.uk\/guidance\/ng101"},{"key":"pone.0350300.ref003","first-page":"81","article-title":"Methods to improve rehabilitation of patients following breast cancer surgery: a review of systematic reviews","volume":"7","author":"SY Loh","year":"2015","journal-title":"Breast Cancer (Dove Med Press)"},{"key":"pone.0350300.ref004","unstructured":"World Health Organization. The global breast cancer initiative. https:\/\/www.who.int\/initiatives\/global-breast-cancer-initiative 2023. 2023 December 18."},{"issue":"15","key":"pone.0350300.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3310\/JKNZ2003","article-title":"Exercise to prevent shoulder problems after breast cancer surgery: the PROSPER RCT","volume":"26","author":"J Bruce","year":"2022","journal-title":"Health Technol Assess"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0350300.ref006","article-title":"Exercise interventions for upper-limb dysfunction due to breast cancer treatment","volume":"2010","author":"ML McNeely","year":"2010","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0350300.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1140","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apmr.2015.01.006","article-title":"Effectiveness of postoperative physical therapy for upper-limb impairments after breast cancer treatment: a systematic review","volume":"96","author":"A De Groef","year":"2015","journal-title":"Arch Phys Med Rehabil"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0350300.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108591","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejso.2024.108591","article-title":"\u201cI presumed the pain would eventually get better by itself\u201d; challenges with access to rehabilitation for upper limb dysfunction after breast cancer treatment - Descriptive and qualitative findings from a cross-sectional survey","volume":"50","author":"M-C Johnson","year":"2024","journal-title":"Eur J Surg Oncol"},{"key":"pone.0350300.ref009","unstructured":"Office for National Statistics. Waiting times for cancer treatment across the UK. https:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/peoplepopulationandcommunity\/healthandsocialcare\/healthcaresystem\/articles\/waitingtimesforcancertreatmentacrosstheuk\/2024-08-23. 2024. 2025 January 23."},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0350300.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2196\/19721","article-title":"Patient Experiences of Rehabilitation and the Potential for an mHealth System with Biofeedback After Breast Cancer Surgery: Qualitative Study","volume":"8","author":"L Brennan","year":"2020","journal-title":"JMIR Mhealth Uhealth"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0350300.ref011","article-title":"Factors that influence the provision of home-based rehabilitation services for people needing rehabilitation: a qualitative evidence synthesis","volume":"2","author":"M Velez","year":"2023","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"key":"pone.0350300.ref012","author":"GC Peters","year":"2024","journal-title":"JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0350300.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1080\/1364557032000119616","article-title":"Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework","volume":"8","author":"H Arksey","year":"2005","journal-title":"International Journal of Social Research Methodology"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0350300.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1291","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jclinepi.2014.03.013","article-title":"Scoping reviews: time for clarity in definition, methods, and reporting","volume":"67","author":"HL Colquhoun","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Clin Epidemiol"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0350300.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"467","DOI":"10.7326\/M18-0850","article-title":"PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and Explanation","volume":"169","author":"AC Tricco","year":"2018","journal-title":"Ann Intern Med"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0350300.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1239","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpainsymman.2020.07.030","article-title":"Cancer Rehabilitation and Palliative Care-Exploring the Synergies","volume":"60","author":"RA Chowdhury","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Pain Symptom Manage"},{"key":"pone.0350300.ref017","author":"Innovation Veritas Health"},{"key":"pone.0350300.ref018","unstructured":"EndNote Team. Philadelphia, PA: Clarivate. 2013."}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0350300","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T17:31:46Z","timestamp":1780335106000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0350300"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"LS Katrina","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]]},"references-count":18,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0350300","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]]}}}