title: Randomized, controlled trial of the effect of e-feedback on knowledge about radiotherapy of breast cancer patients in Finland.
abstract: The growing number of women with breast cancer and their unmet knowledge expectations of radiotherapy pose a challenge to develop effective electronic patient education. Development efforts should be focused on e-feedback on knowledge because of its positive effects. In this study, we evaluated how an e-feedback knowledge intervention (e-Re-Know) before first radiotherapy improves breast cancer patients' knowledge of radiotherapy and identified the associations with patients' characteristics. Women with breast cancer (n = 128) were randomized prior to the radiotherapy period either to the intervention group or control group. The outcome measured three months after the radiotherapy period was knowledge level of radiotherapy. The increase in knowledge level was higher in the intervention group after adjustment for baseline knowledge level, and a significantly higher increase in knowledge level was seen in one subdomain, side-effect self-care, compared to the control group. The results of this study indicate that the e-Re-Know can be used in patient education to support empowerment. Future research should target new applications of e-Re-Know available on the Internet for those interested in the subject.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Mervi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siekkinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Jukka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kesänen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Tero
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vahlberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pyrhönen
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leino-Kilpi
keywords: breast cancer; controlled trial; e-feedback; knowledge; patient education; radiotherapy; randomized