H&N-PRER-RAC
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Qualitative Exploration of Head & Neck cancer Patient Reported Experience of Radiotherapy with focus on Restriction Anxiety & 'Claustrophobia'
IRAS ID
262382
Contact name
Jacqueline Stringer
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 7 days
Research summary
Head and neck radiotherapy (H&N XRT) requires the wearing of an immobilisation mask. Although there is little research in this area, the most recent evidence suggests that a quarter of patients report feelings of anxiety and ‘claustrophobia’ associated with the mask, which may not diminish during the course of the therapy. Further evidence of the patient experience needs to be gathered.
Management of patients’ anxiety could be improved with early identification through routine screening before treatment, as well as patient education. Identifying recurring/common themes in this patient group would build the body of evidence of the ‘patient experience’. Using these themes of the patient experience could lead to a screening tool being validated in later work.
All patients will be receiving care at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.
At stage1 patients would be consenting to completing an adapted Distress Thermometer (DT) and a 60 minute qualitative interview (n=20).
Stage 2 Approximately five patients from stage 1, will be asked to consent to a further 60 minute cognitive interview to review the themes identified in stage 1.
Eligible patients will be: patients who have completed, or attempted to complete their course of head and neck radiotherapy would be eligible to join the study at their 6 or 12 week post radiotherapy appointment.Results Summary
Eighteen participants with HNC completed an interview and were asked to retrospectively grade their distress during the mask making and scan on the Adapted Distress Thermometer (ADT). For the ADT responses, 14 (77.8%) participants had scores over 4, 6 of these (33%) participants graded their distress during treatment as a 10/10 and the remaining 3 (16.6%) scored 0/10. Mask anxiety affected 77.8% participants in this study. Six themes were identified from the interviews. 1) Emotional experience of mask, 2) Physical experience of mask, 3) Information provision, 4) Coping strategies for managing mask anxiety/feelings of claustrophobia, 5) Support from other, 6) COVID-related issues. We identified potential anxiety triggers, including emotional and physical contributors, a range of coping strategies and the need for support. Participants also provided us with recommendations to make their experience less traumatic.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NW/0264
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jul 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion