A RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF 2 INFORMATION PACKAGES DISTRIBUTED TO NEW CANCER-PATIENTS BEFORE THEIR INITIAL APPOINTMENT AT A REGIONAL CANCER CENTER

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent to which a new pa tient information package (NPIP) or a mini version of the same package (mini-NPIP) reduces emotional distress and meets the informational ne eds of patients arriving at a tertiary cancer centre for the first tim e. A comprehensive package, NPIP, consisting of procedural information regarding cancer centre location, description of the health care team , treatment services, research, educational activities, accommodation and community services provided at the centre; and a condensed version of the same package, mini-NPiP, were developed. Consecutive patients with newly diagnosed breast, gynaecological, lung and prostate cancer, referred to the centre For the first time were prerandomised to recei ve NPIP, mini-NPIP or no information package, Patients randomised to N PIP or mini-NPIP were mailed the information package at least one week before their first appointment. On arrival at the centre, patients we re administered the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) which measures psych ological distress, and interviewed regarding preferences for informati on and acceptability of the information packages. Of 465 randomised pa tients, 161 were excluded post-randomisation and 304 completed the ent ire interview: 100 were randomised to the NPIP, 102 to the mini-NPIP a nd 102 to the control group. Emotional distress as measured bq the BSI was similar for all groups (P=0.98). Most patients preferred to recei ve the information (98%), receive it before thr first appointment (84% ) and by mail (79%). These preferences were more evident for those giv en the information packages. The majority of patients found the inform ation packages easy to understand (88%) and useful (89%), and no diffe rences were detected between packages. The cost of production and diss emination of NPIP was more than double the cost for mini-NPIP: $8.93 v s $3.98 (Canadian dollars) per patient. For patients presenting to a c ancer centre for the first time, packages of procedural information do not appear to reduce psychological distress, but are preferred by pat ients, Given the cost of producing NPIP, mini-NPIP is the preferred ap proach.