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Teaching Cancer Patients the Value of Correct Positioning During Radiotherapy Using Visual Aids and Practical Exercises

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate if teaching patients about positioning before radiotherapy treatment would (a) reduce the residual rotational set-up errors, (b) reduce the number of repositionings and (c) improve patients’ sense of control by increasing self-efficacy and reducing distress. Patients were randomized to either standard care (control group) or standard care and a teaching session combining visual aids and practical exercises (intervention group). Daily images from the treatment sessions were evaluated off-line. Both groups filled in a questionnaire before and at the end of the treatment course on various aspects of cooperation with the staff regarding positioning. Comparisons of residual rotational set-up errors showed an improvement in the intervention group compared to the control group. No significant differences were found in number of repositionings, self-efficacy or distress. Results show that it is possible to teach patients about positioning and thereby improve precision in positioning. Teaching patients about positioning did not seem to affect self-efficacy or distress scores at baseline and at the end of the treatment course.

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Acknowledgments

This project was made possible as part of the course ‘Research Methodology for Radiation Therapist’, a project-based course in the Department of Oncology at Aarhus University Hospital. The Unit for Psycho-oncology and Health Psychology at Aarhus University Hospital and Aarhus University assisted in developing the questionnaire.

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Author notes

  1. Berit Kjærside Nielsen

    Present address: Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Helle Hansen & Annette Boejen

  2. Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Berit Kjærside Nielsen

  3. Department of Medical Physics, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Anne Vestergaard

Authors
  1. Helle Hansen
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  2. Berit Kjærside Nielsen
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  3. Annette Boejen
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  4. Anne Vestergaard
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Helle Hansen.

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Ethics

The project coordinator met with potential patients at their first visit at the radiotherapy unit to screen for eligibility, inform about the study and obtain informed consent. The project was approved by the regional Danish data protection agency in Central Denmark Region (journal number 2007-58-0010). Informed consent was obtained from all participants before inclusion.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Hansen, H., Nielsen, B.K., Boejen, A. et al. Teaching Cancer Patients the Value of Correct Positioning During Radiotherapy Using Visual Aids and Practical Exercises. J Canc Educ 33, 680–685 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-016-1122-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-016-1122-2

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