BACKGROUND: In an attempt to address the informational needs of female breast cancer survivors, the American Cancer Society (ACS) develops and distributes written documents. Although this educational effort has been well received, little attention has been given to the suitability of the materials themselves. METHODS: A random sample of 812 survivors was derived from callers to the ACS National Cancer Information Center (NCIC) from July to December of 2000. The participants then rated the three most commonly distributed breast cancer information documents on five dimensions 1). presentation, 2). satisfaction, 3). understanding, 4). anxiety, and 5). impact. RESULTS: . Participants responded favorably to four of the five rating categories. Conclusions. The evidence suggests that the three materials had positive health outcomes and were well received by the survivors.
BACKGROUND: In an attempt to address the informational needs of female breast cancer survivors, the American Cancer Society (ACS) develops and distributes written documents. Although this educational effort has been well received, little attention has been given to the suitability of the materials themselves. METHODS: A random sample of 812 survivors was derived from callers to the ACS National Cancer Information Center (NCIC) from July to December of 2000. The participants then rated the three most commonly distributed breast cancer information documents on five dimensions 1). presentation, 2). satisfaction, 3). understanding, 4). anxiety, and 5). impact. RESULTS: . Participants responded favorably to four of the five rating categories. Conclusions. The evidence suggests that the three materials had positive health outcomes and were well received by the survivors.