The Feasibility of Telephone Follow-up Led by a Radiation Therapist: Experience in a Multidisciplinary Bone Metastases Clinic Winter Dixon, BSc, MRT(T) a * , Edith Pituskin, RN, MN b , Alysa Fairchild, MD, FRCPC b , Sunita Ghosh, PhD c and Brita Danielson, MD, FRCPC b a Department of Radiation Therapy, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada b Department of Radiation Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada c Department of Experimental Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada ABSTRACT Telephone follow-up may be a useful tool for outcome assess- ment in the palliative population, eliminating the need for re- peated travel compared with conventional clinical follow-up. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of tele- phone follow-up performed by a radiation therapist (RTT) for patients treated in a multidisciplinary palliative radiotherapy (RT) bone metastases clinic. After training by a nurse practi- tioner (NP) and radiation oncologist (RO), the RTT performed telephone follow-up for the Rapid Access Palliative Radiother- apy Program Bone Metastases Clinic at the Cross Cancer Insti- tute. Follow-up calls were made to patients at 1 and 4 weeks after completion of palliative RT. Symptoms were evaluated with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). Patient feedback, RTT comfort level with each call and the number of times the RTT needed input from the NP or RO regarding patient management was recorded. Feasibility of telephone follow-up was determined by the percentage of patients who were successfully contacted at the 1- and 4-week periods, the number of patients completing assessments, the number of times that RO or NP input was required, patient feedback, RTT comfort level, and NP and RO feedback. Between Febru- ary 2 and July 20, 2009, 30 of 53 patients (57%) were con- tacted at the 1-week follow-up, and 26 (49%) were contacted at the 4-week follow-up. Overall, 72% of patients completed the telephone assessment at 1 or 4 weeks. The RTT required input from the RO or NP for four patients. Patient, NP and RO feedback was positive, and RTT comfort level was high. RTT-led telephone follow-up is a feasible approach for follow-up among patients who have received palliative RT. Future directions include implementation of RTT-led follow- up as part of routine care in the RAPRP and development of RTT capacity in other clinical RT settings. R  ESUM  E Introduction: Le suivi t  el  ephonique pour remplacer le suivi tradi- tionnel peut s’av erer un outil utile pour les patients en soins palliatifs,  eliminant la n ecessit  e de d eplacements r  ep et  es. Cette  etude visait  a  evaluer la faisabilit  e du suivi t  el  ephonique des patients trait  es pour des m etastases osseuses par un technologue en radioth erapie (TR) d’une clinique de radioth erapie palliative multidisciplinaire. Mat  eriaux et m ethodes: Apr  es avoir suivi une formation aupr  es d’un infirmier ou d’une infirmi  ere praticien (IP) et d’un radio- oncologue (RO), le TR a effectu e des suivis t  el  ephoniques dans le cadre du Programme d’acc  es rapide  a la radioth erapie palliative. Clinique de m etastases osseuses du Cross Cancer Institute, 2 f  evrier - 20 juillet 2009 : Des appels de suivi ont servi  a contacter les patients, 1 ou 4 semaines apr  es la fin de leurs traitements palliatifs en TR. Au cours des appels, on a  evalu e les sympt^ omes au moyen de la Ed- monton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). On a not  e les commen- taires du patient, le degr  e d’aisance du TR qui effectuait l’appel, et le nombre d’occasions o u le TR devait recourir aux conseils de l’IP ou du RO pour la gestion du patient. On a  etabli la faisabilit  e du suivi t  el  ephonique au moyen du pourcentage de patients effectivement at- teints dans la p eriode de 1 ou 4 semaines, par le nombre d’  evaluations remplies par les patients, par le nombre de fois o u il a fallu recourir  a l’IP ou  a l’OR, par les commentaires des patients, par le degr  e d’aisance du TR, et par les commentaires de l’IP et de l’OR. R esultats: Du 2 f  evrier au 20 juillet 2009, 30  a 53 patients (57%) ont  et  e contact  es apr  es 1 semaine et 26 (49%) apr  es 4 semaines. Au total, 72% des patients ont rempli l’  evaluation t  el  ephonique de 1 ou 4 semaines. Le TR avait eu recours aux conseils du RO ou de l’IP pour 4 patients. Les commentaires des patients, de l’IP et du RO  etaient positifs et le degr  e d’aisance du TR  etait  elev  e. * Corresponding author: Winter Dixon, BSc, MRT(T), Department of Radiation Therapy, Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 1Z2. E-mail address: winter.dixon@albertahealthservices.ca (W. Dixon). 1939-8654/$ - see front matter Ó 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi: 10.1016/j.jmir.2010.10.003 Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences 41 (2010) 175-179 Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences Journal de l’imagerie médicale et des sciences de la radiation www.elsevier.com/locate/jmir