A focus group consultation round exploring patient experiences of comfort during radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to consult patients about their experiences of comfort while wearing a thermoplastic mask during head and neck radiotherapy before designing a study to develop a comfort scale for radiotherapy.Methods: A qualitative method using a focus group of patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancer was deployed. Five patients were invited and agreed to participate. Semi-structured questions guided the focus group interview. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes.Findings: Three patients participated in the focus group. Three main themes were identified: Physical comfort, Mental perception, Passivity. Physical comfort derived from feelings of pressure, unpleasantness, and generally being uncomfortable. Mental perception derived from how the physical comfort was perceived and derived from feelings of shock, anxiety, indifference and sensory systems. Passivity arose from feelings such as the 'doctor knows best', 'putting up with it', and 'being taken for a ride'. Conclusion:The insight of patient's comfort and experiences are valuable for clinicians to provide patientcentred care. Findings of this study implicate further investigation of how the themes of patient comfort can be measured in radiotherapy to improve the patient experience.

Exploring head and neck cancer patients’ experiences with radiation therapy immobilisation masks: A qualitative study

“…Participants recalled a range of reactions to the mask and experienced different trajectories of mask-related distress during treatment. Consistent with previous studies (Clover et al, 2011;Goldsworthy et al, 2016), mask anxiety did not affect all participants. It appears some HNC patients appraise the mask as threatening whilst others do not.…”

“…A French study found that most participants did not experience mask-related anxiety and viewed the mask positively, as a 'protector' (Arino, Stadelmaier, Dupin, Kantor, & de Figueiredo, 2014). By contrast, other qualitative studies reported negative patient experiences and representations of the mask such as physical discomfort, claustrophobia and anxiety, difficulty coping and hating the mask (Goldsworthy, Tuke, & Latour, 2016;Molassiotis & Rogers, 2012). Given the diversity of the findings reported to date, this study aimed to explore the patient experience with immobilisation masks in the Australian and New Zealand settings.…”

Rozwiązania w zakresie zarządzania ruchomością narządową i unieruchomień stosowanych w radioterapii podczas konferencji ESTRO 36 w Wiedniu.

“…Należy rozważać komfort fizyczny, percepcję mentalną i bierność pacjenta przy doborze unieruchomień w codziennej praktyce radioterapeutycznej. Niemniej jednak najistotniejszy wpływ na poczucie komfortu dla pacjenta onkologicznego ma rozmowa z personelem medycznym [2]. W drugiej części sesji zwrócono uwagę na zastosowanie mechanicznej wentylacji w radioterapii nowotworów charakteryzujących się dużą ruchomością narządową.…”

Unmasking Anxiety: A Qualitative Investigation of Health Professionals; Perspectives of Mask Anxiety in Head and Neck Cancer

“…The PARiHS framework supports a codesign approach, where in-depth experiences of both HNC patients and the HPs who provide their care are documented and analysed [16]. Although HNC patients' mask-related experience has been explored in several qualitative studies [7,8,17], no study has explored the perspectives of HPs. Therefore, the present study aimed to elicit HPs' perspectives on the causes and experience of mask-related anxiety, the roles they and other HPs have in managing mask anxiety, potentially effective interventions and strategies for the person undergoing treatment, and perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing potential interventions within the health system.…”