One bell swoop.

A bell has become a fixture (literally) in many rad onc clinics as a way for patients to symbolize the end of their treatment courses. If you’ve read your Daniel Kahneman, you’ll know that many of our life experiences are often remembered based upon the best (peak), worst (trough), or ending part of that experience. So does ringing a bell create a more positive ending for patients receiving radiation? This study surveyed over 200 patients’ distress after finishing curative-intent treatment: one group that finished before and one group after installation of a clinic bell. How did it work? Patients who finished treatment and rang the bell had significantly higher distress at the end of treatment and also at follow-up. What the bell?! The authors hypothesize that ringing the bell creates a more poignant end to an often difficult cancer treatment experience, which arouses strong emotions. TBL: Patients experience higher distress, as do onlookers, with one bell swoop. | Williams, Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2019