Evaluation of the Effects of Pre-Treatment Education on Self-Efficacy and Anxiety in Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION

Patients receiving radiation therapy for cancer treatment have been reported to experience increased anxiety before starting therapy and often have diminished feelings of control. An evaluation was done to measure the impact of an educational class that was designed to lower patient and family anxiety and to help them know what to expect before starting radiation therapy.

METHODS

A single-centre, cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2011 at an ambulatory radiation therapy clinic. The study used the Cancer Behavior Inventory Brief (CBI-B) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State (STAI-S) to investigate the effect of the class on the participant's perceived self-efficacy and anxiety, respectively. Participant demographics and an evaluation of the course content and the teaching skills of the facilitators were collected.

RESULTS

Twenty-four responses were analyzed. Although the course was designed for those starting treatment, 11 participants had already begun. The majority of participants were non-immigrant patients with high socioeconomic status. Patient self-efficacy scores increased significantly P ≤ .001 and anxiety scores decreased significantly P ≤ .001 after completion of the pre-treatment class. Overall, participants rated the content and delivery of the class highly.

CONCLUSION

This study has shown that pre-treatment education may reduce anxiety and increase self-efficacy in patients starting and those already receiving radiation therapy. This information may provide support for the delivery of pre-treatment patient education in ambulatory radiotherapy clinics.