The American College of Surgeons “Your Breast Cancer Surgery” Program was created to offer breast cancer patients (and members of their support system) education and information to help them better understand and prepare for breast cancer treatment.
Patient Empowerment
Research has shown that most people don’t feel they have enough information before their cancer surgery. As a result, there can be a lack of confidence about treatment decisions. While their surgeon is the best source of information, patients may not know what questions to ask. The “Your Breast Cancer Surgery” Program provides patients with:
- Getting information: Knowing what will happen during the operation and what treatment options are available supports patients to make decisions about the treatments and alternatives as well as understand benefits and risks. When preparing for physician’s appointments, patients and family members can now serve as advocates and actively participate in their care and ask their surgeon questions about the right treatment for them.
- Caring for themselves: This program provides all the information about the operation in one place, from a trusted source. It reflects the best treatment guides in accordance with the national standards, such as the Commission on Cancer, National Cancer Institute, and the National Accreditation Programs for Breast Centers. Patients are afforded the chance to practice the skills they need in advance of surgery that could have a major impact in their quality of life—for example exercises to prevent lymphedema.
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At-Home Care
Length of stay following a breast cancer operation has decreased with many hospitals moving to out-patient procedures, putting most postoperative care into the hands of the patients and their loved ones.
- The overall rate of mastectomy (removal of all breast tissue) increased by 21 percent between 2005 and 2013. Source
- About one-third of bilateral mastectomies were performed in the outpatient setting, and half of unilateral mastectomies were performed as outpatient procedures. Source
- In 2021, the average length of stay for a unilateral mastectomy was one day. Source
- With more women undergoing outpatient breast cancer procedures, the need for at-home post-operative instruction increases. This program helps to fill that need for them.
Benefit of Multimedia Information
One advantage of well-designed multimedia is flexibility. “Your Breast Cancer Surgery Program” is a multimedia presentation that offers a patient guide divided into easy to access chapters produced at a basic literacy level for ease of comprehension. A 35-minute video featuring real patient experiences and careful narration by a breast surgeon is divided into nine segments that are accompanied by written content. “Your Breast Cancer Surgery” offers patients and their caretakers the ability to access the patient guide and videos before and after their surgery to allow them to perform home care with confidence.
- Multimedia formats have been suggested to assist in overcoming linguistic, cultural, and physical barriers and addressing different learning levels as well as help in creating tailored content to address the needs of individual patients and providers. Source
- The possibility of interrupting the video and seeing some sections again offers the advantage of maintaining a high attention level. Because of the easily accessible contents of “Your Breast Cancer Surgery,” it is easy for users to simply surf the Net, review, observe and retrieve the material of their choice. [Patients] reported that the use of the video seemed a more effective learning tool since they could easily remember what they saw on the film; moreover, they had the possibility to stop, start and rewind the video to address their specific needs. Source
To learn more about the program, visit facs.org/yourbreastsurgery.
