Evaluating Illustrated Vs. Traditional Pamphlets for Enhancing Self-Care in Radiation Therapy Patients

Chung Shan Medical University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Radiation Therapy; Head Neck Cancer; Breast Cancer Invasive

Treatments: Other: Optimized illustrated pamphlets

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06678204

2024-A-037 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This quasi-experimental study utilized a pre- and post-test design with experimental and control groups to assess the effectiveness of optimized illustrated educational pamphlets in enhancing patient self-care cognition, satisfaction, and reducing anxiety. The experimental group received pamphlets with a combination of images and highlighted text, while the control group received traditional text-based pamphlets. The study targeted patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck or breast cancer for the first time. Pre-tests assessed baseline self-care cognition, and post-tests were conducted two weeks after treatment completion. The primary objective was to improve patient awareness and understanding of self-care, aiming to support both mental and physical well-being during RT.

Full description

This quasi-experimental, pre- and post-test comparison study was conducted from November 2, 2023, to August 31, 2024, at a medical center in Central Taiwan, following Institutional Review Board approval (IRB No. CS2-23058). A total of 200 first-time RT patients with head and neck or breast cancer were enrolled and randomized into two groups of 100 patients each. The experimental group received optimized illustrated pamphlets covering essential RT information, common side effects, and self-care principles, while the control group received traditional text-based pamphlets.

Enrollment: 200 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• participants with clear consciousness.
• participants could understand and comprehend Mandarin Chinese.

Exclusion criteria

• participants with impaired consciousness or decreased cognitive abilities.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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200 participants in 1 patient group

Optimized illustrated pamphlets

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in the experimental group received optimized illustrated educational pamphlets designed to enhance understanding of self-care during radiation therapy (RT). These pamphlets included images with key text highlights tailored for better cognitive retention. Pretests were administered before the start of treatment, and posttests were conducted two weeks after the completion of RT.

Treatment:

Other: Optimized illustrated pamphlets