scholarly journals Radiotherapy or Surgery? Comparative, Qualitative Assessment of Online Patient Education Materials on Prostate Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 3420-3429
Author(s):  
Erwin Vu ◽  
Manolis Pratsinis ◽  
Ludwig Plasswilm ◽  
Hans-Peter Schmid ◽  
Cédric Panje ◽  
...  

As multiple different treatment options are available for prostate cancer (PCa) and YouTube is commonly used as a source for medical information, we performed a systematic and comparative assessment of available videos guiding patients on their choice for the optimal treatment. An independent search for surgical therapy or radiotherapy of PCa on YouTube was performed and the 40 most viewed videos of both groups were analyzed. The validated DISCERN questionnaire and PEMAT were utilized to evaluate their quality and misinformation. The median overall quality of the videos was found to be low for surgery videos, while radiotherapy videos results reached a moderate quality. The median PEMAT understandability score was 60% (range 0–100%) for radiotherapy and 75% (range 40–100) for surgery videos. The radiotherapy videos contained less misinformation and were judged to be of higher quality. Summarized, the majority of the provided videos offer insufficient quality of content and are potentially subject to commercial bias without reports on possible conflict of interest. Thus, most of available videos on YouTube informing PCa patients about possible treatment methods are not suited for a balanced patient education or as a basis for the patient’s decision.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Manolis Pratsinis ◽  
Christa Babst ◽  
Janine Langenauer ◽  
Hans-Peter Schmid ◽  
Alberto Piller ◽  
...  

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Patients nowadays often search video-sharing platforms for online patient education materials. Since previous assessments of urological videos were limited to English, we systematically assessed the quality of videos on treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer (PCa), and urinary stone disease (USD) in 4 different languages on YouTube using validated instruments. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The search for videos on YouTube addressing treatment options of BPH, PCa, and USD was performed in October 2020 in ­English, French, German, and Italian. Assessed parameters included basic data (e.g., number of views), grade of misinformation, and reporting of conflicts of interest. Quality of content was analyzed using the validated DISCERN questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A total of 240 videos (60 videos in each language) were analyzed. Videos on USD in English had the highest number of views (median views 271,878 [65,313–2,513,007]). The median overall quality of videos assessed showed a <i>moderate</i> quality (2.5–3.4 points out of 5 points for DISCERN item 16). Median total DISCERN score of all videos divided by language showed very similar results: English (39.75 points), French (38 points), German (39.5 points), and Italian (39 points). Comparing the different diseases, videos about BPH showed the highest median scores, especially in German language (median score 43.25 points). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Videos concerning the treatment of BPH, PCa, and USD have a low to moderate quality of content, with no differences seen between the languages assessed. These findings further support the notion of improved patient information materials on video platforms such as YouTube.


2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 536-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna A. Zaghloul ◽  
Jose R. Murillo

Chemotherapy treatment options are limited for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The purpose of this study is to report treatment use and adverse effects (AEs) within the last three months of life in patients with CRPC. Of the 88 patients identified, 32% received treatment within 3 months of death, and documented AEs occurred in 25% of patients. Of those, neutropenia (18.3%), nausea/vomiting (18.3%), and febrile neutropenia (13.6%) were the most frequent. Results of this study show high treatment utility towards the end-of-life in patients with CRPC, with one fourth of patients experiencing AEs. Attention to health-related quality of life becomes increasingly important as new treatments appear to have small impact on survival, and AEs of those treatments may significantly impact patient quality of life.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (6_suppl) ◽  
pp. 82-82
Author(s):  
Fred Saad ◽  
Margaret Fitch ◽  
Kittie Pang ◽  
Veronique Ouellet ◽  
Carmen Loiselle ◽  
...  

82 Background: In prostate cancer (PC), men diagnosed with low risk disease may be monitored through an active surveillance (AS) approach that runs counter to the traditional message of undergoing treatment as soon as possible following a cancer diagnosis. This research explored the perspectives of men with PC regarding their decision-making process for AS to identify the factors that influenced their decision and assisted health care professionals in discussing AS as an option. Methods: Focus group interviews (n = 7) were held in several Canadian cities with men (n = 52) diagnosed with PC and eligible for AS. The men’s viewpoints were captured regarding their understanding of AS, the factors that influenced their decision to engage in AS, and their experience with the approach. A content and theme analysis was performed on the verbatim transcripts from the interviews. Results: All patients described the perception that their disease was not “large enough” to require treatment. They understood that the waiting process avoided the side effects associated with treatments, and they were comfortable about postponing treatment while undergoing close monitoring. Conversations with their doctor and how AS was described were cited as key influences in their decision. Other influences included availability of information on treatment options, distrust in the health system, personality, experiences and opinions of others, and personal perspectives on quality of life. Conclusions: AS is a relatively new approach for the care of men with low risk PC. Men require a thorough explanation on AS as a safe and valid option, as well as guidance towards supportive resources in their decision-making.


2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. S. Lange ◽  
Anuj M. Shah ◽  
Brian A. Braithwaite ◽  
Whitney B. You ◽  
Cynthia A. Wong ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 284-293
Author(s):  
Stephen F. Tomicich

Prostate cancer is an epidemic among aging men. It is essential that research be conducted with the purpose of determining the outcomes of various treatment options. For this study, a sample of radical prostatectomy patients completed a written questionnaire for the purpose of evaluating whether the radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer has an effect on quality of life. In addition, demographic factors were examined to determine if they had an effect on quality of life after this surgical procedure. Data appeared to show that urinary, bowel, and sexual function are determinants of quality of life that are affected by having the radical prostatectomy procedure. Due to the numerous treatment options available for prostate cancer, more research regarding quality of life should be undertaken to determine the best possible treatment option for the patient.


2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 8590-8590
Author(s):  
T. N. Kirk ◽  
M. A. Moyad

8590 Background: Over 50,000 men developed hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) in 2005 (CancerMetrics 2005). The objective of this analysis is to understand patient attitudes towards advancing prostate cancer (PC) and treatment. Methods: Patients were recruited from NexCura’s database of users and links from PC websites: UsTOO, PCRI, PCF and PAACT. Board certified physicians who treat HRPC were recruited by J. Reckner & Assoc. Responses were collected via online survey and analyzed by TSC, a division of Yankelovich. Grant funding from Abbott. The scale was “agree”, strongly agree”, “disagree” or “strongly disagree.” Results: 409 HRPC patients (P), 236 caregivers (C), 100 urologists (U) and 104 oncologists (O) participated. 45% of patients have metastatic HRPC. Mean patient age was 65.7 and age at diagnosis was 60.2. Conclusions: Many patients and caregivers have difficulty with advancing PC. Respondents recognize the survival benefit associated with chemotherapy, but attitude on its impact on quality of life varies significantly. Disparity exists between patients, caregivers and physicians on the impact of treatment on quality of life. Additional education, enhanced dialogue and additional treatment options are needed for HRPC patients, caregivers and physicians. [Table: see text] [Table: see text]


Author(s):  
Martina Giordano ◽  
Valerio Maria Caccavella ◽  
Leonardo Tariciotti ◽  
Giuseppe Maria Della Pepa ◽  
Alessandro Olivi ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Man ◽  
Courtney van Ballegooie

BACKGROUND Online patient education materials (PEMs) are frequently written above the recommended reading level in North America. Poor PEM readability limits the accessibility of medical information to individuals with average to lower literacy levels. Pediatric hospital and association websites have not only been shown to be a preferred source of information among caregivers but have also become a necessity in the COVID-19 pandemic. The readability of Canadian pediatric association websites has not yet been assessed quantitatively. OBJECTIVE To assess the readability of online Canadian pediatric association PEMs to determine if the content of the material is written at a reading level that the majority of Canadians can understand. METHODS PEMs were extracted from ten Canadian pediatric associations and evaluated for their reading level using ten validated readability scales. Associations underwent a difficult word analysis and cross association comparisons were assessed. RESULTS Online PEMs were identified from three pediatric association websites, where the grade reading level was found to be 8.8 +/- 1.8 for the Caring for Kids website, 9.5 +/- 2.2 for the Pediatric Endocrine Group website and 13.1 +/- 2.1 for the Atlantic Pediatric Society website. The difficulty word analysis identified that 19.9% of words were unfamiliar overall. CONCLUSIONS The online PEMs were found to be written above the recommended seventh grade reading level for Canadians. Consideration should be made to create PEMs at an appropriate grade reading level for both patients and their caregivers to encourage health literacy and ultimately promote preventative health behaviours and child health outcomes.


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