Assessing the impact of a breast cancer telephone helpline.

This article discusses the findings of a survey of Breast Cancer Care's helpline users. There is a paucity of data about the effect on patients of using a helpline and the survey aimed to address this. During the evaluation period all relevant callers to the helpline were invited to take part in a postal survey to assess their experience of using the service. Two hundred and thirty two callers completed the questionaires. Analysis of the results shows that respondents were satisfied with the service that provided them with relevant information, emotional support and helped them make informed choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]