• Support Care Cancer · Aug 2019

    Integrative medicine therapeutic approaches to cancer care: patient preferences from focus groups.

    • Wonsun Sunny Kim, Dara James, and Denise M Millstine.
    • College of Nursing & Health Innovation, Arizona State University, 500 N. 3rd St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA. Sunny.Kim@asu.edu.
    • Support Care Cancer. 2019 Aug 1; 27 (8): 2949-2955.

    PurposeTo understand patient preferences for integrative therapeutics and/or modalities during cancer care.MethodsCancer patients currently going through treatment were recruited from the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Participants were asked to engage in 1 of 4 focus groups to understand preferences regarding integrative therapeutic modalities in cancer treatment. Focus group data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Eighty-five percent of inter-coder reliability was achieved with four team investigators.ResultsNineteen cancer patients participated in four focus groups with mixed cancer types (42% breast cancer), gender (53% female), and age (69% over age 60). Focus group analyses resulted in five themes with respect to preferences regarding integrative therapeutic modalities among cancer patients: (1) preference regarding accurate and congruent information; (2) preference regarding stress and symptom management; (3) preference regarding discussion of integrative therapies with healthcare providers (4) preference regarding support from family and friends; and (5) preference regarding personalized holistic care.ConclusionsPatients have a desire to discuss integrative therapeutic aspects of their cancer treatment with healthcare providers. Understanding patient preferences allows opportunity for oncology providers to increase awareness/education of integrative therapeutic modalities. Increased integrative therapeutic knowledge may best support recovery and increased quality of life.ImplicationsQualitative research may facilitate understanding the scope of cancer patient preferences regarding the desire and use of integrative therapeutic modalities. A conceptual understanding of cancer patient preferences regarding integrative therapies and modalities may best inform successful direction and efficacy of treatment strategies.

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