Abstract
Many studies have pointed out that most cancer patients have unmet informational needs and they are often dissatisfied with information they receive. However, no studies have investigated the effect of informational supports on the satisfaction with information for Japanese cancer patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an educational group intervention in improving satisfaction with information among patients with primary breast cancer in a randomized controlled trial.
The patient selection criteria were age less than 65 years, and surgery undergone within the previous 4-18 months as of the start of the study. We conducted a 6-week educational group intervention. The intervention consisted of health education, coping skills training, and relaxation. Subjects were assessed for the satisfaction with medical information and psychological information using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at the baseline, at 6 weeks, and at 6 months.
Fifty (33%) of the 151 patients participated and were randomized, and 46 (30%) completed the study. The experimental group had significantly higher scores than the controls for the satisfaction with the information about breast cancer (p=.04), stress of having cancer (p=.0001), and coping methods to cancer (p=.0001), and the satisfaction with total medical services they receive (p=.0009) over the study period.
The results of this study suggest that a short-term educational group intervention produces significant long-term improvement in the satisfaction with information of Japanese patients with primary breast cancer.
