Introduction: Adaptive communication is an essential requirement to deliver quality patient-centred care. Determining patients' informational needs and acting on the needs are skills radiation therapists (RTs) employ daily with patients. Learning health literacy (HL) strategies to assist with the informational delivery provides RTs with options to improve patients' understanding of vital radiotherapy treatment information or tasks. This research investigates the lived experiences of RTs from the Illawarra and Shoalhaven Cancer Care Centres in Australia using HL strategies during patient interactions after undertaking HL training workshops. Methods: An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach was used. Audio-recorded semi-structured interviews were conducted with six RTs. Two reviewers analysed each interview script separately before discussing and constructing substantive and sub-themes. Results: Four substantive themes were constructed: RT personal attitudes and responses to HL, HL strategies used by RTs, patient associated HL needs and barriers when addressing patient HL needs. RTs were either person-or process-focussed during patient interactions. It was identified that information is provided to patients according to how RTs themselves like to learn new information. Conclusion: This research has allowed an opportunity to inquire into the lived experiences of RTs implementing HL strategies when providing information to patients. While RTs may be person or process-focussed, the patient's needs are always prioritised when providing information, which ultimately results in patient understanding and increased engagement.
Radiation therapist (RT) communication plays an essential part of patientcentred care in achieving better patient outcomes within radiation oncology. Patients present from a range of social circumstances, education levels and cultural backgrounds, all of which may significantly impact their level of health literacy (HL). Using literature sourced from databases such as EMCare Nursing & Allied Health Database, MEDLINE(R) and APA PsycInfo, this narrative review explores HL definitions, international comparison rates and indications of individual low HL. It also reviews HL assessments as well as exploring enablers and barriers to HL from the RT perspective. Strategies from both the individual or organisational perspective are provided for RTs to begin or continue their HL interest. By educating the radiation therapy profession about health literacy and making small changes in interpersonal interactions, there is the opportunity to impact patients' experiences and outcomes significantly.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.