Patients' perspectives on the role of radiation therapists.
OBJECTIVE
To examine patients' perspectives on the role of radiation therapists and to develop substantive theory about the relationships patients form with their radiation therapists.


METHODS
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 breast cancer patients in Western Australia. Interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Grounded theory and the constant comparative method were used to analyse the data.


RESULTS
The major finding from this study was the importance that patients placed on achieving a sense of emotional comfort during their radiation therapy. Two ways in which patients achieved this comfort were by forming relationships with radiation therapists and gaining information related to their treatment and care.


CONCLUSIONS
Radiation therapists played a central role in enabling patients to achieve a sense of emotional comfort. Although radiation therapists have a technical job they need to remain aware of their role in providing patient care and take appropriate steps to ensure that they can assist patients in feeling comfortable during their radiation therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
The role of the radiation therapist in assisting patients to achieve a sense of emotional comfort needs to be formalised to ensure that all patients in radiation therapy are aware of the radiation therapist's role and receive a similar level of care during treatment.
Halkett
Georgia K B
GK
WA Centre for Cancer and Palliative Care, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. g.halkett@curtin.edu.au
Kristjanson
Linda J
LJ
D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003142:Communication; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards; D024382:Professional Role / Q000523:psychology*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust; D014904:Western Australia