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Randomized, controlled trial of the effect of e‐feedback on knowledge about radiotherapy of breast cancer patients in Finland
Author(s) -
Siekkinen Mervi,
Kesänen Jukka,
Vahlberg Tero,
Pyrhönen Seppo,
LeinoKilpi Helena
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
nursing and health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.563
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1442-2018
pISSN - 1441-0745
DOI - 10.1111/nhs.12175
Subject(s) - radiation therapy , randomized controlled trial , medicine , breast cancer , intervention (counseling) , knowledge level , empowerment , cancer , physical therapy , family medicine , nursing , psychology , mathematics education , political science , law
The growing number of women with breast cancer and their unmet knowledge expectations of radiotherapy pose a challenge to develop effective electronic patient education. Development efforts should be focused on e‐feedback on knowledge because of its positive effects. In this study, we evaluated how an e‐feedback knowledge intervention (e‐Re‐Know) before first radiotherapy improves breast cancer patients' knowledge of radiotherapy and identified the associations with patients' characteristics. Women with breast cancer ( n = 128) were randomized prior to the radiotherapy period either to the intervention group or control group. The outcome measured three months after the radiotherapy period was knowledge level of radiotherapy. The increase in knowledge level was higher in the intervention group after adjustment for baseline knowledge level, and a significantly higher increase in knowledge level was seen in one subdomain, side‐effect self‐care, compared to the control group. The results of this study indicate that the e‐Re‐Know can be used in patient education to support empowerment. Future research should target new applications of e‐Re‐Know available on the Internet for those interested in the subject.