Empowering patients for radiation therapy safety: Results of the EMPATHY study

With the increase of treatment complexity, enhancing safety is a key concern in radiation oncology. Beyond the involvement of the healthcare professional, patient involvement and empowerment could play a major role in that setting. We explored how patients perceived and fulfilled that role during th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cancer radiothérapie 2016-12, Vol.20 (8), p.790-793
Main Authors: Bibault, J.-E., Pernet, A., Mollo, V., Gourdon, L., Martin, O., Giraud, P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Anxiety
Female
Health Care Surveys
Humanities and Social Sciences
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasms - radiotherapy
Participation des patients
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
Patient Education as Topic
Patient empowerment
Patient Participation
Patient Safety
Radiation Protection
Radiation therapy
Radiotherapy - adverse effects
Risk Management
Safety Management
Socioeconomic Factors
Sociology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Sécurité des soins
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Summary:With the increase of treatment complexity, enhancing safety is a key concern in radiation oncology. Beyond the involvement of the healthcare professional, patient involvement and empowerment could play a major role in that setting. We explored how patients perceived and fulfilled that role during their radiation treatment. A voluntary and anonymous questionnaire was administered to all patients treated in our department between November 2013 and May 2014. The following data were collected: sociodemographic profile; information received and initiatives to search for additional information; behavior when an unusual treatment event was perceived; active involvement in the safety of the treatment; nature and perception of their own involvement. A statistical analysis was performed to assess behavioral predictors. A total of 155 patients answered the survey. Most of them were treated for prostate (n=58, 37.4%), lung (n=27, 17.4%), head and neck (n=26, 16.8%) and breast (n=25, 16.1%). Only eight patients (5%) had previously received radiation therapy. Ninety-five percent of the patients estimated they had received enough information about their treatment, but 48% would have wanted more. When patients noticed an unusual event during their treatment session, most of them (61%) reported it to the radiation therapist. Patient participation to radiation therapy safety should be encouraged to ensure a cooperative risk management. Healthcare professionals need to inform the patients on the basic technical processes involved in their treatment. Patient empowerment should be added to the verifications made by the radiation therapists and physicians but should not replace them. Avec l’augmentation de la complexité des techniques, la sécurité en radiothérapie est un enjeu majeur. Sans se substituer aux professionnels, les patients pourraient participer activement à la sécurité des soins. Nous avons exploré la façon dont les patients perçoivent leur rôle et agissent durant les séances. Un questionnaire volontaire et anonyme a été réalisé sur l’ensemble des patients pris en charge entre novembre 2013 et mai 2014. Les données suivantes ont été collectées : profil sociodémographique, information reçue avant le traitement, réaction à un événement inhabituel et implication personnelle pour la sécurité du traitement. Une analyse statistique a été réalisée pour mettre en évidence les déterminants comportementaux. Cent cinquante-cinq patients ont répondu au questionnaire. La majori
ISSN:1278-3218
1769-6658
DOI:10.1016/j.canrad.2016.06.006