The effects of a weekly radiation therapy newsletter on patients.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects that structured patient educational information in the form of a weekly newsletter has on the knowledge, side effects, and self-care behaviors of patients with cancer who are undergoing radiation therapy. It was hypothesized that subjects reading the newsletter would know more about radiation therapy and its side effects than subjects not reading the newsletter and, therefore, would employ more self-care behaviors, resulting in less severe side effects. A post-test-only control group design was used. Although the subjects who read the newsletter scored significantly higher on the knowledge test, there were no significant differences in the helpfulness or number of self-care behaviors or in the severity of side effects. Patient education in the form of a newsletter may provide benefits to patients other than knowledge (e.g., reduced anxiety) that may be just as important as side effects relief.