Purpose: Undergoing radiotherapy treatment for breast cancer can be a daunting and anxiety-provoking experience. Evidence shows that empowering patients with education prior to commencing treatment can have a positive impact on their anxiety levels [1,2]. We aimed to educate this patient cohort through the development of a video to reinforce information delivered at consultation regarding the treatment process and side-effects of breast radiotherapy.
Methods: We created a patient information video in collaboration with breast cancer patients, which is available to view on the Royal Free Hospital Trust website via the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58YtVyVsNlc&t=38s . Audits were carried out to assess patient satisfaction and anxiety levels in breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy before and after implementation of the video.
Results: Pre-video implementation data (n = 25): 36% (9/25) of patients reported feeling anxious about starting radiotherapy, 28% had neutral feelings and 36% had no anxiety. 68% (17/25) of patients felt they would benefit from an educational video. Post-video implementation data (n = 29): 72% of patients (21/29) watched the video, 95% of patients (20/21) would recommend the video to other patients, 85% found it helped prepare them for what to expect from radiotherapy, 33% (7/21) felt the video reduced their anxiety levels. Data collected post-onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in UK (n = 15): 66% of patients felt COVID-19 has negatively impacted their cancer treatment. The proportion of patients who watched the video increased from 58% to 80% pre- and post-onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion: Our video has been viewed 18 354 times at the time of writing, showing very encouraging patient engagement. It is an effective method of preparing a vulnerable population for radiotherapy from the safety of their own home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although only 33% felt it improved their anxiety levels, only 36% of patients had anxiety regarding treatment at any point.
References
[1] Nabavi FH, Behboudifar A, Pouresmail Z, Shafiee MN. Effect of pre-treatment education programs on the anxiety of patients receiving radiotherapy: an integrative literature review. Evidence Based Care J 2016;6:49–62.
[2] Assessing the impact of educational video on student engagement, critical thinking and learning: the current state of play | Education.report. Available at: https://education.report/whitepapers/assessing-the-impact-of-educational-video-on-student-engagement-critical-thinking-and-learning-the-current-state-of-play/1009.