1186 - Identifying Gaps in Pre-Treatment Patient Education for Radiation Therapy: Insights from Radiation Therapists

05:45pm - 05:50pm ET

Room 254

Presenter(s)

Jin Ju Lee, MPH - University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL

J. J. Lee¹, A. Lee², S. Webking², S. A. Polce³, C. Chiodo⁴, K. Olabode⁴, J. M. Frakes³, S. Dooley³, M. L. Sandoval⁴, L. N. Silverman³, L. Portelance³, K. Yamoah⁴, and S. Hoffe³; ¹University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, ²Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, ³H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Department of Radiation Oncology, Tampa, FL, ⁴Department of Radiation Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL

Purpose/Objective(s): Pre-treatment education is critical for safe and effective radiation therapy, yet patients often experience confusion or anxiety at the start of treatment. Radiation therapists (RTTs), who provide daily care, are well-positioned to identify gaps in patient knowledge, readiness, and adherence to preparation. This study aims to assess RTTs’ perspectives to inform improvements in pre-treatment education, enhance patient preparedness, and support efficient, patient-centered care.

Materials/Methods:: An anonymous, IRB-exempt survey was offered to radiation therapists at a single academic radiation oncology (RO) department at both the main campus location and the satellite locations to assess therapists’ perceptions of patients’ knowledge, preparedness, and understanding on the first day of radiation treatment. The survey included a combination of 1-5 Likert scales and descriptive frequency scales (Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, Always). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize survey responses.

Results: A total of 27 RTTs completed the survey, 23/60 (38.3%) full time and 4/17 (23.5%) PRN. Most respondents had substantial experience, with 15 (56%) practicing as RTTs for over 10 years and 7 (26%) having more than 10 years of experience on the CT simulator. On the 1-5 Likert scale, therapists generally agreed that appointment slots for the first day were adequate (mean 3.78) and reported feeling highly comfortable providing patient education and answering questions (mean 4.59). However, patients were often not fully prepared: therapists rated that patients generally arrive well-informed about their treatment at 3.04, arrive without questions at 2.07, and arrive without anxiety at 1.96. For patients requiring breath-hold techniques, there was notable variation in preparedness (mean 3.48).

Regarding adherence to site-specific preparation instructions, such as bladder filling or bowel prep, 50% of therapists reported that patients “sometimes” arrived prepared, and 42% reported “often”. 41% of therapists indicated that patient knowledge gaps necessitated re-education at the treatment unit “often”. Common areas of misunderstanding identified by therapists included preparation instructions (89%), treatment side effects (63%), daily treatment processes (48%), and safety precautions around family members (44%). For patients undergoing breath-hold treatments, 37% of therapists reported that inadequate preparation often or always caused treatment delays.

Conclusion: RTTs observed that many patients begin their first treatment day with knowledge gaps and limited preparedness, often requiring re-education which can cause delays in daily linac throughput. Targeted improvements in multidisciplinary pre-treatment education may enhance patient preparedness, streamline workflow, and support patient-centered care.