Researchers at St John of God Murdoch Hospital are creating a series of informative videos to help cancer patients live well during and after treatment.
Professor Leanne Monterosso says the videos will be developed from feedback from interviews and study groups in which patients were asked about their experiences of having treatment and recovering from cancer.
“Our aim is to use this information to help us provide more support and information to improve the health and wellbeing of our patients,” Professor Monterosso says.
“It’s very helpful to be forearmed with useful information to make the journey a little easier.”
The first video in the series introduces patients to the hospital and Cancer Centre facilities and what they can expect when they arrive for treatment.
The video also outlines the treatment process, possible side effects and how to live healthily. The next four videos in the series will provide further information about diet and exercise and physiotherapy.
“Through extensive research studies conducted globally, we know that if you adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle during and after your treatment and take control of these areas of your life, your recovery and outcomes are far better,” Professor Monterosso says.
To reflect patients different needs at different stages of diagnosis, patients were interviewed at four points: at diagnosis, at three and six months after diagnosis and at the end of their treatment.
Patients will be able to access the videos online or watch them while they are undergoing treatment in the hospital’s Cancer Centre.
The project is funded by the University of Notre Dame, Fremantle’s Collaborative Research Networks Program and the St John of God Foundation.
St John of God Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Nick Harvey says “the health and wellbeing of the community is our primary focus and we are proud to support this valuable initiative.”
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