Introduction: Radiation therapy (RT) may benefit half of all cancer patients and contribute to 40% of all cancer cures, yet its utilisation in cancer management is low globally. Several factors contribute to this including perceived inconvenience related to accessing and utilising RT. A new patient reported QOL tool has been developed: Radiation therapy‐related Inconvenience Questionnaire (RIQ). This study aimed to pre‐test the RIQ and explore barriers and facilitators to implementing it in routine clinical practice and in clinical trials.
Methods: Semi‐structured cognitive interviews were conducted with patients undertaking RT, recruited via three hospitals (metro and regional) to examine content validity, acceptability, and comprehensibility of the RIQ which was developed as per the EORTC QOL tool development process. Semi‐structured interviews with healthcare professionals involved in the delivery of care to individuals undertaking RT explored barriers and facilitators to routine usage. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes.
Results: Patients identified and recommended improvements to content, instructions, layout, length, and response options; consequently, 25 items were revised and eight removed, resulting in a final 29‐item questionnaire. Clinicians identified staff‐ and patient‐specific barriers to implementing RIQ in clinical practice.
Conclusion: Acceptability and comprehensibility of the 29‐item RIQ Patient Reported Measure has been established. The next and final phase of the EORTC QOL tool development phase will evaluate the RIQ's measurement properties in a larger clinical study. The barriers and facilitators identified can guide future implementation of RIQ into routine clinical practice to guide treatment decisions and implement patient supports. The “research” version of the RIQ may have utility in clinical trials as an additional endpoint measurement tool. eg a TROG clinical trial comparing a hypofractionated regime of 5 fractions vs conventional schedule of 5 weeks can quantify and evaluate patient inconvenience as an endpoint.