For cancer patients starting radiation treatment, there can be a lot to take in.
Many have questions, but time doesn't always allow for detailed answers, said Audrey Doyle, the chief radiation therapist for the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center at the Medical College of Georgia.
"We have so little time to educate them because we treat patients, one every 15 minutes," she said. "We spend the majority of that time setting up the patient and trying to get them into position. It doesn't leave a lot of time, except when you're walking them out from the treatment room, to really discuss things."
About six months ago, she organized a monthly behind-the-scenes tour for the center's patients, which she conducts when she's off duty.
"I really wanted to do this because I wanted to be able to give people more information," she said. "There's so much to know about radiation treatments, and many people had similar questions."
During the tour, she explains what the therapists do, how the machines are used to provide radiation treatment, and what goes on behind the scenes during treatments.
"This is an opportunity to answer the questions and explain some things that we don't get a chance to talk about during those 15 minutes," she said. "Each tour has been different. It revolves around their questions and what they want to know."
The patients' families or friends often attend the tour with them, she said.
"Patient-family-centered care is extremely important," she said. "They want to know what's going on. They are dealing with the after-effects of what's going on here. So, it only seems natural that they would be involved with getting in there and seeing what goes on."
When patients leave more informed and with no questions, she has accomplished her goal, she said.
"It's a great feeling," she said. "That's what it's all about for me." To see more of The Augusta Chronicle, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://augustachronicle.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2009, The Augusta Chronicle, Ga.