PracticeCALM: Coaching Anxiety Lessening Methods for Radiation Therapists: A Pilot Study of a Skills-Based Training Program in Radiation Oncology

Helen Butlin; Katherine L Salter; Amanda Williams; Carla Garcia

doi:10.1016/j.jmir.2015.12.002

PracticeCALM: Coaching Anxiety Lessening Methods for Radiation Therapists: A Pilot Study of a Skills-Based Training Program in Radiation Oncology

J Med Imaging Radiat Sci. 2016 Jun;47(2):147-154.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jmir.2015.12.002. Epub 2016 Jan 15.

Authors

Helen Butlin¹, Katherine L Salter², Amanda Williams³, Carla Garcia⁴

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Program, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada; Department of Radiation Oncology and Supportive Care, London Regional Cancer Program, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada. Electronic address: hbutlinb@uwo.ca.
² Graduate Program, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
³ Department of Radiation Oncology and Supportive Care, London Regional Cancer Program, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada.
⁴ Department of Radiation Oncology and Supportive Care, London Regional Cancer Program, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.

PMID: 31047178
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmir.2015.12.002

Abstract

PracticeCALM is an 8-week on-the-job training program to teach radiation therapists (RTs) techniques for assisting patients who are experiencing treatment-related anxiety. Twelve clinical RTs in a regional oncology program were recruited on a volunteer basis to participate in the training. A mixed-method approach was undertaken to evaluate perceived benefits to clinical practice. The quantitative findings from the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) showed there were no changes before and after training. Qualitative findings showed significant benefits to RTs, including (1) ability to empathically attune more effectively and earlier to signs of anxiety in patients; (2) improved confidence and self-efficacy for effectively intervening in difficult treatment situations; and (3) enhanced creative problem solving in partnership with patients to assist the acutely anxious patient. The PSS results suggest that intrinsic and extrinsic stressors are a variable but consistent part of the everyday reality of RT practice. A training program focusing on the therapeutic presence dimension of RT practice has a direct impact on effectiveness in assisting anxious patients undergoing RT. When embedded in the clinical life of a radiation therapy department, such a training program has the potential to capture the lived practice wisdom and creative skills of RTs, and effectively mediate these skills across a team through group discussions and documentation on patient charts.

Keywords: PracticeCALM; Radiation therapy; anxiety; mindfulness; training program.