Information and Support for Patients Throughout the Radiation Therapy Treatment Pathway

Abstract

Communication is integral to all human interaction. Effective communication is a skill required by all members of the radiotherapy team in order to provide the best care to patients. However, it is an area of practice frequently overlooked amidst all of the technological advances in radiotherapy. This chapter aims to give an overview of the theories and models which underpin communication and then focuses on interactions within the radiotherapy department and how these impact on patient care. There is a particular focus on communication with older patients, children and adolescents-patient groups who can easily be overlooked in the information giving process. The chapter ends with a series of typically presenting patients to the radiotherapy department and invites the reader to consider how they might provide information and support to such patients.