title: Waiting times for radiotherapy--a survey of patients' attitudes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the maximum time cancer patients were willing to wait for radiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a trade-off technique (TOT) the maximum time patients were prepared to wait for treatment at the centre closest to home before electing to transfer their care to a centre located (1) at a distance necessitating an extra 30 min travelling each day (MWT 1) or (2) at a distance necessitating staying away from home for the duration of therapy (MWT 2) was determined. A TOT was utilised to determine the loss in treatment effectiveness (LIE 1, LIE 2) patients were willing to accept as a consequence of their MWT 1 and MWT 2 choices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median MWT 1 was 4 weeks while the median MWT 2 was 8 weeks. A longer MWT 1 was associated with increasing patient age and a problem with travelling an extra 30 min. Symptomatic patients were less likely to accept a longer MWT 1. The MWT 2 increased as the expected duration of treatment increased but patients in regional areas were less likely to accept a longer MWT 2. The majority of patients indicated that they were unwilling to accept any loss in treatment effectiveness. Patients who had a problem with travelling an extra 30 min daily or who were unable to drive were willing to accept a loss in treatment effectiveness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides an estimate of the waiting times cancer patients are prepared to accept for radiation therapy and suggests that cancer patients are unlikely to trade-off effectiveness for convenience.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lehman
authors.forename: Susannah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Geoff
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delaney
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papadatos
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jalaludin
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cail
authors.forename: Junee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCourt
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barton
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014850:Waiting Lists