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Patients' perceived knowledge and learning needs concerning radiation therapy

The purpose of this study was to determine overall differences between two age groups of patients with cancer in their perceived knowledge and perceived learning needs about radiation treatment and to determine differences between perceived knowledge and perceived learning needs within each age group. A total of 40 subjects between the ages of 25 and 59 years and 40 subjects aged 60 years and older answered two questionnaires. The questionnaires were derived from the Assessment of Learning Needs: Oncology Instrument and are referred to in this study as Radiation Therapy Subscale I and Radiation Therapy Sub-scale II. Differences between the younger group and the older group were not statistically significant. Results did indicate that members of the younger group perceived themselves to know more about their radiation therapy than did older group members. However, patients within each age group perceived themselves to have more knowledge than learning needs. Results of this study suggest that the two age groups demonstrated no significant age-related differences in responding to the questionnaires.