title: Telephone follow-up of patients after radical prostatectomy: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to assess and summarize the best scientific evidence from randomized controlled clinical trials about telephone follow-up of patients after radical prostatectomy, based on information about how the phone calls are made and the clinical and psychological effects for the individuals who received this intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  the search was undertaken in the electronic databases Medline, Web of Science, Embase, Cinahl, Lilacs and Cochrane. Among the 368 references found, five were selected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  two studies tested interventions focused on psychological support and three tested interventions focused on the physical effects of treatment. The psychoeducative intervention to manage the uncertainty about the disease and the treatment revealed statistically significant evidences and reduced the level of uncertainty and anguish it causes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the beneficial effects of telephone follow-up could be determined, as a useful tool for the monitoring of post-prostatectomy patients.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Regina Ferreira
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: da Mata
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São João del Rei, Divinópolis, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Cristina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Escola de Psicologia, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria da Graça
authors.initials: Mda G
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emilia Campos
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000359:Aftercare / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013689:Telephone