Observing the Implementation of Shared Decision-making in Routine Radiotherapy Cancer Nursing: An Explorative Longitudinal Questionnaire Study.

Background: Healthcare professionals have driven decision-making in the past. However, shared decision-making has the potential to increase quality of care.

Objective: To determine to what degree patients undergoing routine pelvic radiotherapy care perceive decision-making as being shared between patient and healthcare professionals.

One third of patients with radiotherapy-induced nausea consider their antiemetic treatment insufficient.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of nausea and vomiting during radiotherapy and to compare quality of life, psychological and functional status in patients experiencing or not experiencing nausea.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional selection of 368 cancer patients treated with radiotherapy answered a questionnaire (=93% answering rate) regarding nausea, vomiting, actual use of and interest in antiemetic treatment, quality of life and psychological and functional status during the preceding week of radiotherapy. Mean age was 60 years and 66% were women.