The Impact of an Evidence-Based Education on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Usage in People with Cancer: Pilot Study

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Simpson, Ellen
Forster, Karly
McMillan, Sara
Anoopkumar-Dukie, Shailendra
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2020
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Abstract

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) usage amongst cancer patients is high globally and in Australia. CAM use in cancer care has the ability to increase chemotherapy toxicity or cause sub-therapy due to altered metabolism as well as increase a patient’s bleeding risk. Furthering these risks, people with cancer are largely obtaining their CAM use information from non-evidence-based sources. This study aimed to determine whether the implementation of a CAM education influenced decision-making with regard to CAM usage amongst cancer patients. Twenty people with cancer were recruited for participation in this study. The aims of this study were achieved by surveying patients via questionnaire, both prior to and following receiving an evidence-based CAM education, in either or both written or audiovisual format. This exploratory study found, consistent with the literature, that the majority of participants were obtaining their CAM use information from non-evidenced-based sources. Additionally, it found that the participants wanted more CAM use information and that they demonstrated some altered decision-making after receiving evidenced-based information. On the post-educational questionnaire, the number of participants that stated that they would use CAMs decreased by almost 14%, and some participants made CAM use decisions in accordance with the information provided in the resources. Furthermore, a small increase in CAM knowledge was demonstrated, and it was reported that the resource had prompted them to look further into CAM information. Lastly, the participants in this study found the resource to be mostly useful and helpful and preferred the animated video to the written information.

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Journal of Cancer Education

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This publication has been entered in Griffith Research Online as an advanced online version.

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Subject

Nursing

Health services and systems

Public health

Oncology and carcinogenesis

Science & Technology

Social Sciences

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Oncology

Education, Scientific Disciplines

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Simpson, E; Forster, K; McMillan, S; Anoopkumar-Dukie, S, The Impact of an Evidence-Based Education on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Usage in People with Cancer: Pilot Study, Journal of Cancer Education, 2020

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