Patient Education for Radiation Therapy
In February, Varian Medical Systems awarded a grant to GO to support the development of radiation therapy education materials for cancer patients with low literacy levels. The GO team has spent recent months establishing the foundational knowledge for this work. Now, with a solid funding base – raised on GlobalGiving plus the grant from Varian – GO is poised and excited to accelerate progress.
Our research shows that the vast majority of patient education materials for radiation therapy are available in English and written in dense text, well above a sixth grade reading level – generally too advanced to be fully comprehended by patients and their caregivers.
Several cancer centers and nonprofit organizations do show their patients videos explaining the concept of radiation therapy and what patients might experience during radiation treatment.
Overall, the literature points to a lack of materials designed for populations with low literacy levels, both in the United Sates and globally. GO aims to address this need for “RadOnc” education materials, working with our partners – The MEME and a team in Botswana – by developing culturally appropriate materials based on local information and treatment needs.
Please contact us at Danna@globalonc.org if you have a need for or interest in the development and/or use of such materials. |