Question prompts to empower cancer patients: results of a randomized controlled trial.

<bold>Objective: </bold>In addition to question prompts for information transfer, we also used prompts to facilitate the expression of emotions. Our aim was to investigate how a question prompt list (QPL) is accepted by patients and whether it enhances interactional empowerment of the patients in the consultation with the radio-oncological treatment team before the beginning of radiotherapy.<bold>Methodology: </bold>Adult cancer patients before the beginning of radiotherapy were randomly assigned to the intervention group (IG) or control group (CG). The patients in the IG received a QPL with predefined subsets and subject areas. After the physician's consultation, both groups completed a self-developed, content validated questionnaire on interactional empowerment. The IG evaluated the QPL using a self-developed instrument.<bold>Result: </bold>A total of 279 adult cancer patients participated in the study (IG n = 139/CG n = 140). The participants of the IG reported a significantly higher interactional empowerment compared with those of the CG (t(277) = - 2.71, p = .007, 95% CI [- 1.61, - 0.26], d = 0.29). 60.4% of the IG agreed "rather" or "very" that they used the QPL in consultation with the medical team.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>The QPL used in the consultation improved the self-assessed competence for interaction with the medical team and strengthened the interactional empowerment. The QPL was well accepted by the patients and is to be introduced into a routine as a practicable and simple instrument in the future. The support of patients in addressing concerns and fears is an important innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]