Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 1, 2026
E-Patient Counseling Trial E-PACO: Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
D-CRSE: Diminishing chemotherapy-related side effects through patient education, a mixed-methods pilot study
Shelby Labe1, Gavin Jones1, Hannah Dailey1
1Department of Hematology and Oncology, Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Objectives:
Patient education materials regarding self-management of chemotherapy-related side effects are limited, which may result in patients using disreputable sources. We created a brochure that educates patients on common side effects, tools to address problems themselves, and guidance on when to contact their oncologist or seek emergency care. This mixed-methods study conducted at Penn State Cancer Institute evaluates the feasibility of using an educational brochure to improve patient outcomes through education.
Methods:
Chemotherapy naïve patients with breast or gastrointestinal (GI) cancer were enrolled in a single-arm clinical trial from December 2021 to 2022. Participants received the educational brochure and were asked to provide their initial impressions. They completed The Emotional Thermometer Scale (ETS) and the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) to measure changes in patient symptoms and mental health throughout their chemotherapy course at 0, 6, and 12-week intervals. The drop-out rate was recorded as a measure of study feasibility.
Results:
The study participants were split between the following cancer types: 77.8% breast and 22.2% GI cancer. A significant decrease in overall mean ETS score was observed between baseline and week 6 (p = 0.001) and 12 (p = 0.0004), respectively. Moreover, the mean MSAS psychological symptoms decreased significantly at week 12 compared to baseline (p = 0.005), while no change was observed in physical symptoms (p = 0.101). Of the 40 participants who completed baseline surveys, 37 had at least one additional visit for a drop-out rate of 7.5%.
Conclusion:
This mixed-methods pilot study was successful in demonstrating the feasibility of distributing a standardized educational brochure as an intervention for chemotherapy patients. While participants' emotional scores and psychological symptoms decreased over time, physical symptoms did not, which aligns with side effect progression from cumulative chemotherapy burden.
Related Concept Videos
01:16Crossover Experiments
Crossover designs are performed even with smaller sample sizes since the samples can act as their controls. These are better than simple randomized trials since patients are exposed to all the treatments.
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
01:12Hazard Ratio
For example, in a clinical trial evaluating a...