Improving skin-tone inclusivity in patient information leaflets for radiotherapy skin reactions: a literature review

Introduction:Radiotherapy is a common treatment modality for cancer patients. Unfortunately, the treatment can result in skin reactions that may affect their quality of life and clinical outcomes. PILs can provide guidance on managing early symptoms and reduce unscheduled treatment breaks. Evaluatin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of radiotherapy in practice 2024-10, Vol.23, Article e21
Main Authors: Knight, S., Macwan, S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bias
Confidence
Content analysis
Data collection
Dermatology
Education
Erythema
Inclusion
Knowledge bases (artificial intelligence)
Language
Literature reviews
Medical students
Original Article
Patients
Population studies
Quality of life
Radiation therapy
Skin
Skin care
Systematic review
Textbooks
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Description
Summary:Introduction:Radiotherapy is a common treatment modality for cancer patients. Unfortunately, the treatment can result in skin reactions that may affect their quality of life and clinical outcomes. PILs can provide guidance on managing early symptoms and reduce unscheduled treatment breaks. Evaluating PILs is not frequently evidence-based, and research into evaluating PILs’ inclusiveness for radiotherapy skin reactions does not exist. This study aims to contribute to the knowledge base to better serve the whole radiotherapy population.Methods:A constructivist methodology was developed to evaluate skin-tone inclusivity in the author’s local PILs, and a literature review was conducted to assess the knowledge base and facilitate providing recommendations for improvement.Results:Publication, diagnostic, language and educational bias were identified in the literature. The content analysis found the author’s departmental PILs were not inclusive of medium and dark-skinned patients.Conclusions:Further research into radiotherapy PILs inclusivity is warranted. The creation or amendments to existing radiotherapy skin reaction diagnostic tools are needed to cater for the whole population. Diverse educational resources are needed to contribute to the reduction of health inequalities faced by radiotherapy patients.
ISSN:1460-3969
1467-1131
DOI:10.1017/S1460396924000220