“It's natural so it shouldn't hurt me”: Chemotherapy patients' perspectives, experiences, and sources of information of complementary and alternative medicines

Background and purpose: Minimal evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use during chemotherapy is accompanied with a high prevalence of use and nondisclosure to health professionals. This study aimed to explore patients’ perspectives, experiences,...
Ausführliche Beschreibung

Background and purpose: Minimal evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use during chemotherapy is accompanied with a high prevalence of use and nondisclosure to health professionals. This study aimed to explore patients’ perspectives, experiences, support needs, and sources of information regarding CAM use during chemotherapy.Materials and methods: Semi-structured interviews with ten adult participants who recently completed chemotherapy treatment at a large hospital in Australia were transcribed verbatim. Three investigators thematically analysed the interviews.Results: These participants receiving chemotherapy valued CAMs as a natural complement to chemotherapy to improve wellbeing, with their use most strongly influenced by past experiences rather than expert advice.Conclusion: Health professionals would benefit from education on how to best inform patients of the potential risks, harms and lack of efficacy for CAM use during chemotherapy in a way that does not lead to patient non-disclosure of CAM use. Ausführliche Beschreibung