Effects of telephone call interventions on patients' well-being in a radiation therapy department.

This study examined the effects of telephone call interventions by a collaborative team on patients' well-being. Fifty-five subjects undergoing radiation therapy for cure and who were able to communicate by telephone comprised the sample. Subjects were randomly assigned to a control group, who received the usual care or to an experimental group, who received a weekly telephone call intervention in addition to the usual care. Speilberger's State Trait Inventory, the Side Effects Profile, and the Coping Strategies Profile were used along with a telephone survey to collect data. Analysis of the data showed no significant differences between groups in anxiety, severity of side effects, helpfulness of self-care strategies, and coping strategies. However, the survey indicated that the telephone calls were clinically significant and provided a mechanism for demonstrating that the health care professionals cared about their patients and provided an opportunity for patients to talk about their concerns. The investigators believe that collaboration, caring, and communication are the essence of exemplary health care.