Florence Lewis1, Isabelle Merckaert2, Aurore Liénard2, Yves Libert2, Anne-Marie Etienne3, Christine Reynaert4, Jean-Louis Slachmuylder5, Pierre Scalliet6, Paul Van Houtte2, Philippe Coucke7, Emile Salamon8, Darius Razavi9. 1. Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Brussels, Belgium. 2. Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Brussels, Belgium; Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium. 3. Université de Liège, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Liège, Belgium. 4. Université Catholique de Louvain, Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Éducation, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. 5. C.P.O. (Centre de Psycho-Oncologie), Brussels, Belgium. 6. Université Catholique de Louvain, Faculté de Médecine, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. 7. Université de Liège, Faculté de Médecine, Liège, Belgium. 8. Clinique Saint-Elisabeth, Namur, Belgium. 9. Université Libre de Bruxelles, Faculté des Sciences Psychologiques et de l'Éducation, Brussels, Belgium; Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: drazavi@ulb.ac.be.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients may experience clinically relevant anxiety at their first radiotherapy (RT) sessions. To date, studies have not investigated during/around the RT simulation the key communication and communication-related predictors of this clinically relevant anxiety. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Breast cancer patients (n=227) completed visual analog scale (VAS) assessments of anxiety before and after their first RT sessions. Clinically relevant anxiety was defined as having pre- and post-first RT session VAS scores ⩾4 cm. Communication during RT simulation was assessed with content analysis software (LaComm), and communication-related variables around the RT simulation were assessed with questionnaires. RESULTS: Clinically relevant anxiety at the first RT session was predicted by lower self-efficacy to communicate with the RT team (OR=0.65; p=0.020), the perception of lower support received from the RT team (OR=0.70; p=0.020), lower knowledge of RT-associated side effects (OR=0.95; p=0.057), and higher use of emotion-focused coping (OR=1.09; p=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides RT team members with information about potential communication strategies, which may be used to reduce patient anxiety at the first RT session.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Patients may experience clinically relevant anxiety at their first radiotherapy (RT) sessions. To date, studies have not investigated during/around the RT simulation the key communication and communication-related predictors of this clinically relevant anxiety. MATERIAL AND METHODS:Breast cancerpatients (n=227) completed visual analog scale (VAS) assessments of anxiety before and after their first RT sessions. Clinically relevant anxiety was defined as having pre- and post-first RT session VAS scores ⩾4 cm. Communication during RT simulation was assessed with content analysis software (LaComm), and communication-related variables around the RT simulation were assessed with questionnaires. RESULTS: Clinically relevant anxiety at the first RT session was predicted by lower self-efficacy to communicate with the RT team (OR=0.65; p=0.020), the perception of lower support received from the RT team (OR=0.70; p=0.020), lower knowledge of RT-associated side effects (OR=0.95; p=0.057), and higher use of emotion-focused coping (OR=1.09; p=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides RT team members with information about potential communication strategies, which may be used to reduce patientanxiety at the first RT session.
Authors: Ana M Grilo; Ana I Gomes; Fátima Monsanto; Daniel Albino; Cláudio Augusto; Catarina Pragana Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2019-06-21 Impact factor: 3.603