Background
Many survivors report feeling lost or abandoned following the end of treatment (EOT). They may not know what to expect. EOT represents a ‘teachable moment.’ We developed and piloted a five-minute nurse-led EOT education session and information pack, with information about common survivorship issues, upcoming appointments and treatment team contact details. We sought to evaluate patient perspectives.
Methods
Over eight weeks, all patients attending their final curative-intent chemotherapy appointment participated in the pilot. Within two weeks of attendance, an independent researcher contacted all patients to conduct a telephone survey. Perceived usefulness, timeliness and satisfaction with the service were assessed using open, limited option and Likert scale questions. As a quality improvement project, ethics approval was not sought.
Results
Twenty of 23 patients completed the survey (RR = 87%); 65% (13/20) were female, with a mean age of 56 years (range 26-82), treated for haematological (35%, 7/20), breast (30%, 6/20), head and neck (15%, 3/20) and gynaecological (10%, 2/20) cancers. Most (85%, 17/20) agreed or strongly agreed the information pack was useful; 75% (15/20) felt the information was given at the right time. Minority (10%, 2/20) would have preferred more time with the nurse. Most (85%, 17/20) answered no when asked if the nurse could have done anything better or differently within the consultation. In response to the open question of ‘how do you think your end of chemotherapy experience would be without the nurse providing this information?’, the common theme was being more worried. In general comments, some reported not being ready to review the information in depth, but felt that having it was reassuring.
Conclusion
This pilot demonstrates that patients perceive a brief EOT education session and information to be useful and timely. This may help address informational needs and prepare people for the post-treatment phase.