ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S5672

RTT - Patient experience and quality of life

ESTRO 2024

1. To demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering film content to patients for radiotherapy planning.

2. To improve participant experience and reduce anxiety scores

Material/Methods:

Web-based Patient Information Videos were created for breath-hold breast, head and neck, and prostate RT planning scans which explained the preparation and process of treatment planning in detail.

For each site 2 groups of 20 patients were recruited. One group was given a survey to complete pre and post RT planning scan without the usual planning information only. The second group were directed to a web-based video and asked to watch this prior to the scan.

We collected data to calculate a validated score of pre- and post-scan anxiety levels and received feedback regarding the patients experience during scanning.

Results:

Across all 3 tumour sites, patients who had watched the videos experienced increased anxiety levels prior to the planning CT scan compared with those who had not in a trend that almost reached significance (p=0.06) in the combined analysis. All patients demonstrated decreased anxiety levels following completion of the CT planning process compared with pre-CT. Despite increased anxiety levels, most patients who had viewed the videos reported valuing having done so.

Conclusion:

The finding of a trend to increased anxiety after watching RT planning videos is unexpected and the cause is unknown. We wonder whether the patients found the videos made them think more deeply about planning, its importance to their treatment and their own role in the process. The language we use in clinic can be reassuring and imply this is similar to a diagnostic CT scan which may lead to lower levels of anxiety. In all groups, especially prostate there seemed to be significant issues with internet access and ability and confidence in accessing the videos. As doctors we are used to using online resources however we need to appreciate that for a significant proportion of our patient population this still remains a challenge and can be a barrier to engagement with digital resources.

Patients generally found the videos themselves to be clear, high quality and very helpful, though some noticed that some of the details of the radiotherapy technique had changed in some aspects from that depicted.

RT has undergone a rapid period of technological advances, the device used for the breast breath hold technique had changed in between the video being produced and the study. The protocol for prostate radiotherapy bowel preparation has also been improved. Process changes have the potential to impact on the usefulness and longevity of videos and are cost intensive to rectify. Although it was surprising to us that the videos did not have the expected effect of reducing anxiety for patients, it is clear that ‘more information’ is not always better for all and that we need to find ways of identifying which patients benefit from more detailed information prior to interventions.