Cargando…

Informational stories: a complementary strategy for patients and caregivers with brain metastases

OBJECTIVE: We compared the efficacy of a story-based writing style with that of a fact-based writing style for educational material on brain metastases. METHODS: Identical informational content on four topics—radiation therapy, side effects, steroid tapering, and palliative care—was constructed into...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Chung, A.D., Ng, D., Wang, L., Garraway, C., Bezjak, A., Nyhof–Young, J., Wong, R.K.S.
Formato: Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Multimed Inc. 2009
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695708/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19526083
_version_ 1782168226249048064
author Chung, A.D.
Ng, D.
Wang, L.
Garraway, C.
Bezjak, A.
Nyhof–Young, J.
Wong, R.K.S.
author_facet Chung, A.D.
Ng, D.
Wang, L.
Garraway, C.
Bezjak, A.
Nyhof–Young, J.
Wong, R.K.S.
author_sort Chung, A.D.
collection PubMed
description OBJECTIVE: We compared the efficacy of a story-based writing style with that of a fact-based writing style for educational material on brain metastases. METHODS: Identical informational content on four topics—radiation therapy, side effects, steroid tapering, and palliative care—was constructed into equivalent story-based and fact-based materials. The content and reader preference for style were evaluated using a questionnaire of 20 + 1 items. Cancer patients and caregivers were invited to evaluate the materials. RESULTS: A total of 47 participants completed the questionnaire. The recorded preferences for facts, stories, or both were 42%, 7%, and 51% respectively (p = 0.0004). The fact-based materials were rated superior in providing factual information (for example, discussion of treatment, side effects) and selected general characteristics (clarity of information, for instance). A rating trend suggested that story-based materials were superior in describing “how it feels to have brain metastases” (21/40 fact-based vs. 26/43 story-based) and “how brain metastases affected a spouse” (17/41 fact-based vs. 21/47 story-based), and in being “sensitive to the frustrations of a patient with brain metastases” (25/40 fact-based vs. 30/44 story-based). CONCLUSIONS: Half the participants preferred to read both fact-based and story-based materials. A combined story-based and fact-based educational resource may be more effective in conveying sensitive information and should be further investigated.
format Text
id pubmed-2695708
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2009
publisher Multimed Inc.
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-26957082009-06-12 Informational stories: a complementary strategy for patients and caregivers with brain metastases Chung, A.D. Ng, D. Wang, L. Garraway, C. Bezjak, A. Nyhof–Young, J. Wong, R.K.S. Curr Oncol Rehabilitation and Survivorship OBJECTIVE: We compared the efficacy of a story-based writing style with that of a fact-based writing style for educational material on brain metastases. METHODS: Identical informational content on four topics—radiation therapy, side effects, steroid tapering, and palliative care—was constructed into equivalent story-based and fact-based materials. The content and reader preference for style were evaluated using a questionnaire of 20 + 1 items. Cancer patients and caregivers were invited to evaluate the materials. RESULTS: A total of 47 participants completed the questionnaire. The recorded preferences for facts, stories, or both were 42%, 7%, and 51% respectively (p = 0.0004). The fact-based materials were rated superior in providing factual information (for example, discussion of treatment, side effects) and selected general characteristics (clarity of information, for instance). A rating trend suggested that story-based materials were superior in describing “how it feels to have brain metastases” (21/40 fact-based vs. 26/43 story-based) and “how brain metastases affected a spouse” (17/41 fact-based vs. 21/47 story-based), and in being “sensitive to the frustrations of a patient with brain metastases” (25/40 fact-based vs. 30/44 story-based). CONCLUSIONS: Half the participants preferred to read both fact-based and story-based materials. A combined story-based and fact-based educational resource may be more effective in conveying sensitive information and should be further investigated. Multimed Inc. 2009-05 /pmc/articles/PMC2695708/ /pubmed/19526083 Text en 2009 Multimed Inc.
spellingShingle Rehabilitation and Survivorship
Chung, A.D.
Ng, D.
Wang, L.
Garraway, C.
Bezjak, A.
Nyhof–Young, J.
Wong, R.K.S.
Informational stories: a complementary strategy for patients and caregivers with brain metastases
title Informational stories: a complementary strategy for patients and caregivers with brain metastases
title_full Informational stories: a complementary strategy for patients and caregivers with brain metastases
title_fullStr Informational stories: a complementary strategy for patients and caregivers with brain metastases
title_full_unstemmed Informational stories: a complementary strategy for patients and caregivers with brain metastases
title_short Informational stories: a complementary strategy for patients and caregivers with brain metastases
title_sort informational stories: a complementary strategy for patients and caregivers with brain metastases
topic Rehabilitation and Survivorship
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2695708/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19526083
work_keys_str_mv AT chungad informationalstoriesacomplementarystrategyforpatientsandcaregiverswithbrainmetastases
AT ngd informationalstoriesacomplementarystrategyforpatientsandcaregiverswithbrainmetastases
AT wangl informationalstoriesacomplementarystrategyforpatientsandcaregiverswithbrainmetastases
AT garrawayc informationalstoriesacomplementarystrategyforpatientsandcaregiverswithbrainmetastases
AT bezjaka informationalstoriesacomplementarystrategyforpatientsandcaregiverswithbrainmetastases
AT nyhofyoungj informationalstoriesacomplementarystrategyforpatientsandcaregiverswithbrainmetastases
AT wongrks informationalstoriesacomplementarystrategyforpatientsandcaregiverswithbrainmetastases