Evaluation of an evidence-based education package for men with prostate cancer on hormonal manipulation therapy

Abstract

Prostate cancer has become a public health problem worldwide with considerable social and economic consequences. Many men have extraprostatic spread at diagnosis, and treatment usually involves hormonal manipulation therapy, which can challenge the stereotypical male image. It is often assumed that merely the provision of educational material for patients in an accessible form is sufficient to address informational needs. However, with the increasing emphasis on evidence-based practice, an essential element of the patient education process is evaluation of the impact of educational interventions. In this study, a randomised controlled trial was used to evaluate the effect of an evidence-based education package on the knowledge of disease and treatment, quality of life, coping and satisfaction of a sample (n=55) of men with prostate cancer on hormonal manipulation therapy in the UK. The men were randomly assigned to experimental (n=28) and control group (n=27). Established instruments with satisfactory reliability and validity were used to measure the dependent variables. The independent variable, namely the education package, had been developed following the results of a previous study, which assessed the informational needs of this client group. This package consisted of an information booklet supplemented by the verbal teaching of a urology nurse. Results demonstrated that delivery of the education package had a significant effect on knowledge, quality of life and satisfaction with care, but not on coping. This study has contributed to the evidence-base for practice in urological nursing. This education package should become a routine, and not merely incidental aspect of care for this client group.