Aim: Additional education sessions have been shown to enhance patient understanding, improve collaboration and reduce psychological distress associated with radiation therapy. This study evaluated the implementation of a multidisciplinary prostate group education session designed to improve patient preparedness for Radiation Therapy. The program aimed to improve bladder and bowel preparation while evaluating treatment compliance, patient understanding, session quality, and patient satisfaction
Method: A pilot education program was delivered in 2025. Twenty consecutive eligible prostate patients were recruited following consent to treatment. The 90-minute session offered detailed information on bladder and bowel preparation, featuring video footage of the linear accelerator, a former patient’s experience, along with presentations from nursing, dietetics, and social work. Data collection combined quantitative measures, including compliance rates and surveys, with qualitative patient and staff feedback, analysis utilised statistical and thematic methods.
Results: Patients and family members provided positive feedback, describing the program as informative and valuable. Several noted that seeing videos of the linear accelerator helped ease their fears, while others appreciated the clear clarification around bladder and bowel preparation. The satisfaction survey showed that 92% of patients felt well-prepared for radiation therapy and 85% felt less anxious after attending the education session. In the study group, 73% strongly agreed they knew what to expect during treatment, compared to 81% of the control group who disagreed. For staff, this translated to shorter education, increased efficiency, resulting in an improved overall streamlined workflow.
Conclusion: The session not only reduced anxiety and stress but also supported patients in feeling prepared and empowered for their treatment. Following these positive outcomes, the program has been adopted as the standard model of care within the department. This successful implementation demonstrates that structured multidisciplinary education is a feasible and effective intervention that enhances both the patient experience and clinical workflow.