ESTRO 36 Abstract Book

S999 ESTRO 36 2017 _______________________________________________________________________________________________

EP-1853 The Role of Radiotherapist in Prospective Evaluation of Quality of Life of Head-Neck Cancer patients D. Debojoyti 1 1 APOLLO GLENEAGLES HOSPITAL, RADIOTHERAPY, Kolkata, India Purpose or Objective Cancer and its subsequent treatment may cause physical, emotional, and psychological difficulties for individuals. Quality of life (QOL) indices are as important as the traditional end points of overall survival, disease free survival & tumor response in cancer management. QOL is particularly relevant for patients with head & neck cancer , because social interaction & emotional expression depend to a great extent on the structural & functional integrity of the head & neck region . Material and Methods During the period, June 2012 to June 2013, 33 head & neck squamous cell cancer patients who received radical chemoradiotherapy were consented and prospectively assessed for quality of life score using Europian Organization for Research & Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core Questionnaires version 3(QLQ-C30) and the EORTC QLQ- H&N35, in any one of three languages (English, Hindi, Bengali). The score was assessed thrice for each patient, before start of radical treatment, just after completion of radical treatment and at the time of first follow up. Follow up QOL score has not been incorporated in this report. Results There were significant changes in Emotional Function (mean 71.21 vs 79.04, p=.04, 95%CI -15.53- -.11), Social Function (mean 81.81vs90.90, p=.05, 95%CI-18.20- .02), Insomnia(mean 22.61vs32.14, p=.03, 95%CI-18.03- -1.01), Apetite (mean 34.52vs60.71, p=0.001, 95%CI-40.84- - 11.53) & for Nausea/Vomiting (mean 6.79vs24.69, p=.002, 95%CI-28.55- -7.25). Conclusion In accordance with our prospective study of quality of life of patients head & neck cancer, we found there were no deterioration of physical & role function & finally it is remarkable that there was no significant change of global health. This prospective study demonstrates short term deterioration of functional as well as symptomatic scale on the other side we also wanted to seems here, the important role of radiotherapy technologist in quality of life of cancer patients. We thought every radiotherapy technologist should a positive part to collect the EORTC C- 30 & EORTC H&N35 QOL questionnaire before & also at the day of completion EP-1854 Information Seeking Patterns of Patients/Carers and Satisfaction with Web-based Resources A. Craig 1 , D. Dunne 1 , C. Gillham 2 1 Trinity College Dublin, Applied Radiation Therapy Trinity- Discipline of Radiation Therapy, Dublin, Ireland 2 St Lukes Radiation Oncology Network, St. James Hsp., Dublin, Ireland Purpose or Objective It has been established that a substantial number of patients and their carers use the internet to obtain additional health-related information and several studies have been published analysing the quality of information available on these websites. The aim of this research was to (1) ascertain the internet usage and information seeking patterns of cancer patients and their carers and (2) identify the possible characteristic demographics of internet users. A secondary aim was to determine if these patients and carers are satisfied with the information available to them on a purpose designed web-based patient information resource, ‘Website A’

which is affiliated with the Radiation Oncology Network that they were attending Material and Methods A self- designed anonymous questionnaire consisting of two sections was distributed to patients and their carers within the three radiotherapy departments of a Radiation Oncology Network in Ireland. Participants included patients (n=70) and carers (n=46). Results A total of 116 surveys were returned, with 73% of participants reporting daily internet usage. 52% of these used the internet for information on general health and 67% of the participants used the internet to search for information on their current cancer diagnosis. Of those participants, only 12% used Website A, the website under evaluation in this study. The remainder were unaware of its existence. Overall, when seeking healthcare information, participants rated medical professionals the most useful, followed by Patient Information Leaflets. Healthcare Information Websites were rated the third most useful resource. Conclusion Despite medical professionals and information leaflets remaining the most useful sources for patients, physicians need to be aware that many of their patients and their carers are using the internet for information on their diagnosis. This should be acknowledged by recommending quality web-based information resources to ensure that only high quality information is accessed. Website A offers information specifically tailored to the treatment and support services available within the hospitals of this network- an advantage for patients and carers that cannot be ignored. However, Website A is as the majority of participants were unaware of this website efforts to promote and advertise this website are warranted. EP-1855 Dedicated Patient Information Cancer Websites: A Usability Comparison S. Wall 1 , A. Craig 1 1 Trinity College Dublin, Applied Radiation Therapy Trinity Research Group, Dublin, Ireland Purpose or Objective In recent years, there has been an explosion in the use of websites for acquiring health information. Usability, or the efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction users have with websites, determines whether users will return to the site. As information requirements by patients fluctuate over the course of their disease, health information websites must be usable to ensure they consistently meet patient’s information requirements. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usability of one dedicated radiotherapy website, and compare this to 3 other popular patient websites. A secondary aim was to investigate if the websites complied with readability guidelines published by national and international organisations . Material and Methods The data sources for comparison comprised of websites identified from searching the three most used search engines, using keywords reflecting most common language among patients.The LIDA tool, developed for online health information websites, was used to assess the websites for accessibility, usability and reliability. Readability and quality of online written literature was examined using the HSE/NALA Plain Language Style Guide for Documents and“Making Your Website Senior Friendly” guidelines produced by the National Institute of Aging and the National Library of Medicine in the USA. All data collection methods were analysed using descriptive statistics, to allow for comparison between the websites. Results