Abstract
Building a better patient-physician relationship is an essential component of patient-centered medicine. From this perspective, many studies have been conducted and many interventions or guidelines have been advocated. However, among radiation-oncology departments, an emphasis on communication-skills or patient’ preferences has not been given proper attention. We analyzed 227 consecutive patients who were fully informed about their cancer from their referring physicians and who were visiting the radiation-oncology department of our hospital for the first time. Although, they had been given written information regarding their cancer, only 40% had a clear understanding of the disease. Another quarter of the patients were misinformed. The most frequently asked questions about radiotherapy concerned adverse effects, followed by effects or outcomes, procedures, and influences on daily life or work. About 40% of the patients were actively seeking additional medical information. There was a weak but statistically significant correlation between a better understanding of the cancer and active seeking additional information. Radiation oncologists should be aware of these issues in their clinical practice to build a good patient-physician relationship resulting in better treatment outcomes.
