The effect of preparatory patient education on the anxiety and satisfaction of cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.

Facing treatment of cancer with radiation therapy causes anxiety for most prospective patients. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of preparatory patient education in reducing anxiety and improving satisfaction during the course of treatment. A quasiexperimental time series design was used to compare two groups of 25 patients, matched according to treatment type and gender, who were commencing radiation therapy for the first time. The experimental group received two structured teaching interventions incorporating sensory and procedural information designed to familiarize the patient with the forthcoming experience. The theoretical basis for the intervention arose from Johnson's work (1973) on preparing patients for threatening events. The control group received the standard information that was current in the Radiation Therapy Department where the study was conducted. The results indicated that the experimental group was significantly less anxious and significantly more satisfied during radiation therapy than their counterparts in the control group, and the effects were maintained throughout the treatment period of up to 7 weeks.