Patients’ perspectives on the role of radiation therapists Georgia K.B. Halkett * , Linda J. Kristjanson WA Centre for Cancer and Palliative Care, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia, Australia Received 12 March 2007; received in revised form 26 June 2007; accepted 22 July 2007 Abstract Objective: To examine patients’ perspectives on the role of radiation therapists and to develop substantive theory about the relationships patients form with their radiation therapists. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 breast cancer patients in Western Australia. Interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Grounded theory and the constant comparative method were used to analyse the data. Results: The major finding from this study was the importance that patients placed on achieving a sense of emotional comfort during their radiation therapy. Two ways in which patients achieved this comfort were by forming relationships with radiation therapists and gaining information related to their treatment and care. Conclusion: Radiation therapists played a central role in enabling patients to achieve a sense of emotional comfort. Although radiation therapists have a technical job they need to remain aware of their role in providing patient care and take appropriate steps to ensure that they can assist patients in feeling comfortable during their radiation therapy. Practice implications: The role of the radiation therapist in assisting patients to achieve a sense of emotional comfort needs to be formalised to ensure that all patients in radiation therapy are aware of the radiation therapist’s role and receive a similar level of care during treatment. # 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Breast cancer; Radiation therapists; Patient care; Communication; Emotional comfort 1. Introduction Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females in Australia, the United States of America and the United Kingdom [1]. Breast cancer patients may be referred for surgery alone, surgery in combination with radiotherapy or surgery combined with both radiotherapy and chemotherapy [2]. The recent radiation oncology inquiry in Australia recommends that 50% of all cancer patients should receive and would benefit from radiotherapy as part of their cancer treatment [3]. A curative course of radiotherapy is routinely prescribed over a period of 5–7 weeks and requires the patient to receive treatment on a daily basis. Although breast cancer patients have received their diagnosis and commenced treatment weeks or even months before they arrive in radiotherapy, they may not have come to terms with their diagnosis and may still be experiencing a range of emotions. Furthermore, as they enter the department they may be feeling anxious because they know little about radiotherapy and have heard negative stories about it [4]. Health professionals based in radiotherapy therefore have an important role to play in informing patients about treatment, reassuring them and making sure that they feel comfortable about receiving treatment. Radiation therapists play a key role in providing radiation therapy treatment. The term ‘‘radiation therapist’’ is used in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States of America. Elsewhere radiation therapists are known as ‘‘ther- apeutic radiographers’’ and ‘‘radiotherapy nurses’’. The Aus- tralian radiation oncology inquiry report describes ‘‘radiation therapists’’ as ‘‘Radiation treatment specialists who undertake treatment, simulation and planning, deliver radiation therapy to patients according to prescription and have an ongoing relationship with patients throughout their course of treatment. ’’ [3, p. 3]. Griffiths et al. [5] similarly reported that radiation therapists not only use a high level of technical expertise in treating patients, these also have a role in communicating with patients and providing patient care. Martin and Hodgson [4] www.elsevier.com/locate/pateducou Patient Education and Counseling 69 (2007) 76–83 * Corresponding author at: Curtin University of Technology, Health Research Campus, GPO Box U1987, Perth 6845, Western Australia, Australia. Tel.: +61 8 9266 1762; fax: +61 8 9266 1770. E-mail address: g.halkett@curtin.edu.au (G.K.B. Halkett). 0738-3991/$ – see front matter # 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2007.07.004