Telephone calls for management of patients of anxiety in radiotherapy and their families

Abstract

Aim: To describe the evaluation that cancer patients and their families make about the telephone calls made in order to reduce their anxiety during radiotherapy treatment. Method: a descriptive and exploratory study of quantitative and qualitative approach, performed in a radiotherapy clinic of a teaching hospital in Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil. Twenty patients who started radiotherapy participated and also 20 families. An interview was conducted for data collection. Data analysis occurred through an organization into categories and after, descriptive statistical analysis. Results: Most patients and families showed moderate anxiety at the beginning of radiotherapy, and rated as important the reception of the telephone calls to ease the anxiety, since the feelings of tranquility and incentive/ encouragement were propitiated by the calls. Final Remarks: Telephone calls reflected positively on the feeling of relief of anxiety of the radiotherapy patients and their families.