Relationships, body image, and intimacy: A pilot to increase sexual health conversations between radiation therapists and cancer patients in Ontario

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BackgroundIn 2016, a sexual health guideline recommended that the first step to addressing sexual health and dysfunction resulting from cancer and its treatment is for healthcare providers to initiate sexual health conversations with patients. To action this, a sexual health knowledge translation (KT) pilot was developed. MethodsThe Relationships, Body image, and Intimacy (RBI) pilot was implemented at four regional cancer centres (RCCs) from January 2018 to February 2020 which focused on medical radiation therapists (MRT(T)s) initiating conversations with radiation therapy patients. MRT(T)s were recruited to be RBI champion role models and were trained on RBI topics, trained fellow MRT(T)s, and modelled best practice for sexual health conversations with cancer patients. Pilot interventions were developed to address barriers to RBI conversations. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection activities were implemented to evaluate pilot interventions. ResultsBefore the RBI pilot, over 80% of MRT(T)s reported they did not initiate RBI conversations with patients. By the end of the pilot, over 52% of MRT(T)s reported initiating RBI conversations with all or almost all patients. Feedback from patients was positive. Barriers to comfort level with RBI topic were successfully addressed with continued education and training throughout the pilot. DiscussionResults show increased RBI conversations during the pilot, and MRT(T)s reported increased comfort speaking with patients about RBI with continued practice. The RBI champions played a pivotal role in the pilot's success and increased MRT(T) comfort with RBI. Initial barriers to RBI conversations were less reported as the pilot progressed and RBI conversations were normalized for patients. ConclusionsThe RBI pilot was a novel KT initiative focused on supporting MRT(T)s to ensure patients were aware of sexual health resources available to them during their radiation therapy. Knowledge gained from this pilot can easily be adapted to assist other health care providers and additional RCCs to confidently initiate RBI conversations with their patients.