Meaningful consumer engagement in medical radiation sciences: enhancing quality improvement and research projects.

Consumer engagement and partnership are increasingly recognised as a significant component of healthcare planning, provision, quality improvement and research. This article provides an overview of consumer engagement embedded in two different projects: a quality improvement project and a research project. The considerations and steps taken to effectively engage and partner with consumers throughout both projects will be discussed such as the prompt for consumer engagement, how the consumer/s were recruited and their specific contributions. The commonly reported advantages and challenges as well as reflections on what we might do differently with the benefit of hindsight are presented, including time required by both consumers and health professionals; funding and remuneration; and reporting findings to the wider community. In demonstrating consumer engagement and our learnings, we aim to encourage further consumer engagement activities amongst medical radiation professionals.

An evaluation of the use and efficacy of behavioural therapy when treating paediatric patients with radiation therapy.

INTRODUCTION: The paediatric radiation therapy group (PRTG) provided a multidisciplinary network to support patients accessing radiation therapy (RT). This study aims to evaluate the use and efficacy of behaviour therapy practices used by the PRTG. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional review of general anaesthetic (GA) utilisation for paediatric patients was completed between 1 January 2010 and 30 June 2014. The PRTG incorporated behavioural therapy techniques into all appointments but offered additional play appointments to children unable to comply with the requirements of RT. This aimed to increase their compliance and minimise GA use. RESULTS: Two-hundred and seventy-four patients had 5402 occasions of service, of which 1361 were delivered under GA (25.2%). Two-hundred and fifty-seven patients met the eligibility criteria. Patients under 8 years who required GA for their entire treatment reduced for each year of increase in age (odds ratio 0.37, 95% confidence interval 0.27-0.51, P < 0.001). Participants 3 years and younger were shown not as likely to change their GA requirements with the use of play appointments. Seventy-eight per cent (83/106) of 3-8-year-olds used no GA or ceased GA during treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Most paediatric patients <3 years will gain minimal benefit to reduce GA use from additional play appointments. Children older than nine were not likely to require play appointments to be compliant with RT. Encouragingly, 53.3% of 3-8-year-olds who were categorised as full GA after CT planning did not continue to a full course of GA due to the behavioural therapy interventions of the PRTG.