
A new study underway at the UF Health Cancer Center seeks to address a critical issue: anxiety-induced delays in radiation treatment.
Over the next 32 months, UF Radiation Oncology researchers will investigate whether enhanced patient training and instruction materials can empower patients to make informed decisions, improve emotional comfort and reduce anxiety, and minimize missed treatment days.
Entitled “Modernizing Instructions to Improve Treatment Participation of Subjects During Their First Radiotherapy (PEERs),” the study will enroll two cohorts of 325 patients over the age of 18 receiving their first external beam radiotherapy treatments. Both groups will take pre- and post-education surveys; however, one group will receive traditional materials and instructions, while the other will review modernized, easily accessible, and more tailored instructions.
“Anxious patients often arrive late, forget parking or check-in instructions, and can struggle to position themselves correctly for treatment,” said Kathryn E. Hitchcock, MD, PhD, PEERs Principal Investigator. “They may also forget crucial instructions, such as holding their breath, which can cause delays and disrupt treatment for others. All of these repercussions result not only in increased costs to the system, but a high probability that treatment completion will be delayed and a portion of the opportunity for cure lost.”
The PEERs enhanced training program is expected to yield numerous benefits, including reduced unplanned clinic visits, increased treatment completion rates, decreased emergency department visits, lower hospital admission rates during radiotherapy, improved patient-reported comfort and confidence, and better patient preparedness and engagement throughout the treatment process.
In addition, the UF Radiation Oncology nursing team will figure prominently in the successful completion of the PEERs study.
“Our nurses take the lead in comprehensive radiotherapy education and personalized guidance for patients,” said Debra F. Hutchinson, MSN, RN, OCN, UF Radiation Oncology Clinical Operations Manager. “The results of this study will further our ongoing mission to elevate patient care.”
For more information about the PEERs study, visit the UF Health Clinical Trials website.