Informative videos to support Cancer Centre patients

24 Jul 2017

24 July 2017

Professor Leanne Monterosso says the videos were developed using feedback from interviews and study groups in which patients were asked about their experiences of having treatment and recovering from cancer.

“We used this feedback to help us provide more individually tailored 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 as healthily as possible. The following four videos in the series will provide further information about diet, 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, researchers interviewed patients at four points: at diagnosis, at three and six months after diagnosis and at the end of their treatment.

“We are offering every patient, carer and friend access to the videos from the hospital’s webpage – they can be seen on the hospital TV channel, at home, interstate or overseas."

All of the stars of the video are Murdoch Cancer Centre's patients, staff and doctors.

You can see the first in the series of videos on our Murdoch Cancer Support page.

The project is funded by the University of Notre Dame Fremantle’s Collaborative Research Network Funding and through the St John of God Foundation.