Erlich Annette, Posluns Elaine, Stokes Edith, Di Prospero Lisa
Medical Radiation Sciences, The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Patient and Family Support Program, Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
J Med Imaging Radiat Sci. 2015 Sep;46(3S):S13-S22. doi: 10.1016/j.jmir.2015.04.017. Epub 2015 Jul 29.
Malnutrition is commonly seen in cancer patients before starting treatment and can worsen as they undergo radiation therapy. At the Odette Cancer Centre, there is currently no protocol or guideline for radiation therapists (RTs) to refer patients to registered dietitians before or during treatment. The aim of our study was to determine if RTs across Canada were able to identify and/or recognize nutrition-related side effects in patients during their course of radiation treatment who would require/benefit from a referral to a registered dietitian for additional support. An e-mail invitation with a link to an electronic questionnaire was distributed to RTs across Canada. Overall, 137 RTs responded (11% response rate) from across the country. Most respondents practice as treatment delivery therapists (75%). Seventy-five percent indicated that they were asked for advice on nutrition-related issues by patients. Self-assessment revealed RTs are more knowledgeable than confident in both recognizing patients requiring nutrition intervention and providing proper care. Analysis of open-ended questions indicates that RTs are knowledgeable in recognizing and providing appropriate interventions to patients. As RTs are positioned to be the first line to screen patients, they can provide quick and easy access to information and interventions in addition to making patient referrals to dietitians for additional support. To improve their confidence, educational sessions can be held with proper referral algorithms made available to RTs. This will provide better quality of care and improve the continuity of care, leading to improved patient care with better patient outcomes.
营养不良在癌症患者开始治疗前很常见，并且在他们接受放射治疗时可能会恶化。在奥德特癌症中心，目前没有方案或指南让放射治疗师（RTs）在治疗前或治疗期间将患者转介给注册营养师。我们研究的目的是确定加拿大各地的放射治疗师是否能够识别和/或认识到在放射治疗过程中患者出现的与营养相关的副作用，而这些患者需要/会受益于转介给注册营养师以获得额外支持。一份带有电子问卷链接的电子邮件邀请被分发给加拿大各地的放射治疗师。总体而言，全国有137名放射治疗师回复（回复率为11%）。大多数受访者是治疗实施治疗师（75%）。75%的人表示患者向他们询问过与营养相关问题的建议。自我评估显示，放射治疗师在识别需要营养干预的患者和提供适当护理方面，知识比信心更丰富。对开放式问题的分析表明，放射治疗师在识别患者并为其提供适当干预方面知识丰富。由于放射治疗师处于筛查患者的第一线，他们除了将患者转介给营养师以获得额外支持外，还可以提供快速便捷的信息和干预措施。为了提高他们的信心，可以举办教育课程，并为放射治疗师提供适当的转介算法。这将提供更高质量的护理并改善护理的连续性，从而改善患者护理并取得更好的患者治疗效果。
