Men’s Experience of Virtual Simulation to Aid Patient Education for Radiation Treatment to the Prostate

Abstract

Prostate cancer affects more than 3000 New Zealand men each year. Many of these men receive a complex type of radiation treatment which requires patients to have a full bladder and empty rectum to aid in the accuracy of treatment delivery and minimise side effects. These concepts can be difficult to explain and current patient education involves verbal and written materials.A 3D immersive teaching tool Virtual Environment Radiotherapy Training system (VERT) can visually simulate and demonstrate how radiation treatment is delivered to the prostate. There is sufficient evidence to support VERT as a useful teaching tool in the academic environment however; using VERT for one-on-one patient education is a novel approach.This qualitative, pilot study set out to explore men's experience of VERT when it was incorporated into education sessions for prostate radiation treatment. More specifically, how VERT shaped the men's understanding of how radiation treatment is delivered; why a full bladder and empty rectum is required; and their initial treatment experience. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews one week after the participants had experienced the VERT education and received their first week of radiation treatment.Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to offer insight into the men's experience of the VERT education session. The findings strongly suggest VERT education enhances patient understanding of radiation treatment through visual learning. There is a preference to have the VERT education delivered sometime near the first treatment appointment and VERT has the potential to support men through engagement, information sharing and encouraging peer support. There is a role for visual tools such as VERT to be included as part of patient education sessions for radiation treatment to the prostate.iii

Simulation‐based education: A narrative review of the use of VERT in radiation therapy education

“…A key aspect of that report was the usefulness of VERT in making the longitudinal and horizontal connections between aspects of the entire programme of study. In addition to the student radiation therapist focused studies, in depth work using VERT as a patient education tool to prepare and inform patients prior to a course of radiation therapy has been presented at a number of international forae …”

Radiation therapy patient education using VERT: combination of technology with human care

“…In one study, VERT education sessions were conducted using each individual patient's RT treatment plan. All other studies employed a relevant, but generic patient CT data set …”

“…Nonetheless, data from these studies report an increase in knowledge and/or satisfaction with the VERT‐based education interventions. VERT was also found to be useful in providing patient positioning and bowel and bladder preparation information to pelvic cancer patients, which supports the use of VERT for specific‐instructional education …”

“…Results demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in anxiety scores with the largest decrease in anxiety related to treatment precision, which concurs with literature on patient education needs . Similarly, a qualitative study found that prostate cancer patients reported feeling less anxious about their treatment after being shown a prostate cancer treatment on the VERT system …”

“…VERT provides a combination of graphics, sensory technology and a physical hand‐held pendant which enables users to interact actively with the artificial, computer generated environment . The introduction of VERT into patient education offers clinical and academic educators an innovative way to demonstrate RT information …”