METHODS: An online survey was administered among complementary medicine practitioners who treat patients with cancer or cancer survivors and who are member of a professional association in the Netherlands.
RESULTS: The survey was completed by 1481 complementary medicine practitioners. 40% of the participants reported to have contact with conventional healthcare providers of patients with cancer. Only 13% of the complementary medicine practitioners experienced conventional healthcare providers as open to communication with them. An explorative logistic regression showed that openness of conventional healthcare providers as experienced by complementary medicine practitioners was the most important predictor for the occurrence of interprofessional contact (OR = 8.12, 95% CI 5.12-12.86, p < .001). Most complementary medicine practitioners (82%) considered it important that patients disclose complementary medicine use to their conventional healthcare provider and 49% of the participants always motivates their patients to do so.
CONCLUSIONS: Interprofessional contact with conventional healthcare providers in oncology occurs but is not routine for most complementary medicine practitioners. More than one-third of the surveyed complementary medicine practitioners experienced conventional healthcare providers as not open to communication with them. The openness of conventional healthcare providers as experienced by complementary practitioners is an important predictor for interprofessional contact to take place. Most complementary practitioners acknowledge the importance of patient disclosure of complementary medicine use to their conventional healthcare provider. Open communication about the topic of complementary medicine use between complementary practitioners, conventional healthcare providers and patients prevents overlooking relevant medical information and facilitates optimal monitoring of health and safety of patients with cancer.
方法:对治疗癌症患者或癌症幸存者并且是荷兰专业协会成员的补充医学从业人员进行了一项在线调查。
结果:调查由1481名补充医学从业人员完成。40%的参与者报告与癌症患者的传统医疗保健提供者有过接触。只有13%的补充医学从业者经历了传统的医疗保健提供者开放与他们沟通。探索性逻辑回归表明,补充医学从业者所经历的常规医疗保健提供者的开放性是发生职业间接触的最重要预测因素(OR=8.12,95%CI5.12-12.86,p<.001)。大多数补充医学从业者(82%)认为患者向他们的传统医疗保健提供者披露补充医学用途很重要,49%的参与者总是激励他们的患者这样做。
结论:在肿瘤学中与传统的医疗保健提供者进行职业间接触,但对于大多数补充医学从业者来说并不是常规的。超过三分之一的接受调查的补充医学从业者经历了传统的医疗保健提供者不愿意与他们沟通。互补从业者所经历的传统医疗保健提供者的开放性是职业间接触发生的重要预测因素。大多数补充从业者都承认患者披露补充药物对其常规医疗保健提供者的重要性。关于补充医生之间的补充医学使用主题的开放交流,传统的医疗保健提供者和患者可以防止忽视相关的医疗信息,并有助于对癌症患者的健康和安全进行最佳监测。