Integration of complementary and alternative medicine into cancer-specific supportive care programs in Australia: A scoping study

Lim, E; Vardy, JL; Oh, B; Dhillon, HM

Integration of complementary and alternative medicine into cancer-specific supportive care programs in Australia: A scoping study

Lim, E Vardy, JL

Oh, B

Dhillon, HM

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2017, 13 (1), pp. 6 - 12
Issue Date:: 2017-02-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Lim, E	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Vardy, JL https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5739-5790	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Oh, B https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6063-4548	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Dhillon, HM https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4039-5169	en_US
dc.date.available	2016-03-21	en_US
dc.date.issued	2017-02-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2017, 13 (1), pp. 6 - 12	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1743-7555	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/124783
dc.description.abstract	© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd Aim: The main aim of this research was to describe the availability and integration of supportive care programs (SCPs), particularly complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services, for adults in Australian oncology treatment centers. Methods: We systematically searched 124 Australian hospitals listed as having an oncology department out of a total of 1157 hospitals listed in the Australian Hospitals and Aged Care Databases (2014), and assessed their website and relevant leaflets. Direct contact was made with a relevant staff member in each hospital. Data were collected regarding the range of SCP and CAM services available. Results: Of the 124 hospitals, 89 (72%) provide nonspecific guidance to SCP or a staff member (e.g. social worker or care coordinator) who directs patients, advising them about SCP; 35 hospitals (28%) provide active referral to SCP, of which 24 of 35 (69%) include CAM in their service, with individual variation in how it is incorporated. Only 11 (46%) of these 24 CAM incorporated oncology centers in Australia provided systematically integrated CAM programs. Conclusion: The majority of Australian oncology departments do not have CAM incorporated into their services. In those that do, less than half had systemically integrated CAM. The types of CAM available, how they are accessed and how they are integrated varied across hospitals. Further research is required to understand how to successfully and systematically integrate cancer-specific supportive care such as CAM into Australian cancer services.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1111/ajco.12591	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Neoplasms	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Complementary Therapies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adult	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Australia	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.title	Integration of complementary and alternative medicine into cancer-specific supportive care programs in Australia: A scoping study	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	13	en_US
utslib.for	1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Medical and Molecular Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	13	en_US

Abstract:

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd Aim: The main aim of this research was to describe the availability and integration of supportive care programs (SCPs), particularly complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services, for adults in Australian oncology treatment centers. Methods: We systematically searched 124 Australian hospitals listed as having an oncology department out of a total of 1157 hospitals listed in the Australian Hospitals and Aged Care Databases (2014), and assessed their website and relevant leaflets. Direct contact was made with a relevant staff member in each hospital. Data were collected regarding the range of SCP and CAM services available. Results: Of the 124 hospitals, 89 (72%) provide nonspecific guidance to SCP or a staff member (e.g. social worker or care coordinator) who directs patients, advising them about SCP; 35 hospitals (28%) provide active referral to SCP, of which 24 of 35 (69%) include CAM in their service, with individual variation in how it is incorporated. Only 11 (46%) of these 24 CAM incorporated oncology centers in Australia provided systematically integrated CAM programs. Conclusion: The majority of Australian oncology departments do not have CAM incorporated into their services. In those that do, less than half had systemically integrated CAM. The types of CAM available, how they are accessed and how they are integrated varied across hospitals. Further research is required to understand how to successfully and systematically integrate cancer-specific supportive care such as CAM into Australian cancer services.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/124783