A pre-post evaluation of oncology healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices following the implementation of a complementary medicine practice guideline

Abstract

Complementary medicine (CM) use is prevalent among cancer patients, yet it is often not assessed by oncology healthcare providers (HCPs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate oncology HCPs' knowledge, attitudes, and practices surrounding CM use before and after the implementation of a practice guideline focusing on standardizing assessment and documentation of CM. METHODSOncology HCPs across a provincial cancer agency were invited to participate in the study. The implementation strategy included an initial education session for HCPs and standardized CM assessment forms. Pre-post surveys assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to CM were completed by HCPs prior to attending the education session and following the 4-month implementation period. Paired t-tests were conducted to determine differences between baseline and follow-up surveys. RESULTSA total of 31 oncology HCPs completed both baseline and follow-up surveys, with over 3,700 patient CM assessment forms being completed during the 4-month study period. At the end of the study, HCPs reported greater CM knowledge (p < 0.001), readiness to support cancer patients' CM decisions (p = 0.002), and willingness to consult with another HCP about CM (p = 0.004). No signi cant change in HCPs' reported attitudes towards CM, or clinical practices related to CM were observed. CONCLUSIONImplementing a practice guideline, including a CM education session and a standardized assessment form was found to improve oncology HCPs' self-reported CM knowledge and readiness to answer cancer patients' questions about CM. The ndings provide support for future knowledge translation research aimed at standardizing how CM is addressed within cancer care settings.

Effects of blended learning training for oncology physicians to advise their patients about complementary and integrative therapies: results from the multicenter cluster-randomized KOKON-KTO trial

“…In a study by Hayward et al, a complementary medicine practice guideline also led to positive results for health care providers, including oncologists (improvement in self-reported CIM knowledge and readiness to answer cancer patients’ questions about CIM) [ 25 ]. This education session was also created to accommodate the schedules of health care professionals and was available in multiple formats (in person as well as online).…”

How is complementary medicine discussed in oncology? Observing real-life communication between clinicians and patients with advanced cancer

“…In addition, to improve communication about relevant aspects of CM, such as counseling on safety and effectiveness, oncology clinicians will benefit from more education about CM. Although educational programs about CM for oncology clinicians have been developed and evaluated [38,39], they are not incorporated as standard in medical education.…”

“Part of the Conversation”: A Qualitative Study of Oncology Healthcare Professionals’ Experiences of Integrating Standardized Assessment and Documentation of Complementary Medicine

“…Further details of the implementation of the clinical practice guideline recommendations can be found elsewhere. 14 Beyond examining the impact of the recommendations on HCPs’ knowledge, attitudes and practices related to CM, 14 we were also interested in understanding the feasibility and experience of addressing CM at point-of-care from the perspective of oncology HCPs.…”