Patients' worries about radiotherapy: Evaluation of a preparatory booklet

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Abstract
A booklet about radiotherapy was produced for patients attending a regional radiotherapy centre. Its impact on patients' worry about their treatment and on their satisfaction with information about radiotherapy was assessed by means of a postal questionnaire. The experimental group (200 patients) received the booklet with their letter of admission, and their responses were compared with a control group (215 patients). In terms of overall worry about the treatment and several specific worries, there were no differences between the groups. Of the patients who had received the booklet, there was a significantly smaller proportion who expressed concern about hair loss, and who had additional worries about their treatment. Twice as many patients who had had the booklet were satisfied with the amount of information they now had about radiotherapy. Reactions to the booklet were positive: 66% felt less worried after reading it, 80% thought it a good idea, and 68% felt that it should be given to patients at the time they are first told of the need for radiotherapy.