Cancer CAM™: Web-Based Continuing Education for Health Professionals

Abstract

Nurses and health educators who work with cancer patients are often asked about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. "CAM and the Prostate Cancer Patient" is the prototype module for an online continuing education series on CAM. More than 60 nurses and health educators tested the product online. Outcome data indicate that such a program can increase learners' CAM knowledge and perceived self-efficacy in addressing patient questions about CAM. Qualitative responses from testers indicate an appreciation for a balanced approach to the material. Testers found the combination of academic information with professional and patient tips to be useful.Keywords: complementary medicine; cancer; nurse continuing education; CAM Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been variously described, most often defined as those treatments, interventions, and health care practices not taught widely in medical schools, not generally available in hospitals, and often not reimbursed by medical insurance companies (Eisenberg et al., 1998; Office on Alternative Medicine, 1998). Included in this necessarily broad definition are many different practices and therapies, some more widely practiced and/or accepted than others in the United States and other countries with a primarily biomedical health care tradition. Although there is an extensive literature on CAM treatments and cancer, the literature on the efficacy of CAM treatments on cancer survival, side effects, or quality of life is limited with only a few studies that employ the rigor of a randomized clinical trial (Ernst, 2001;Jacobson, Workman, & Kronenberg, 1999, 2000Tagliaferri, Cohen, & Tripathy, 2001). Nurses and other health professionals who work with cancer patients need to be aware of the scientific evidence, when available, and evidence at other levels such as the Best Case Series program (National Cancer Institute, 2001) so they can provide accurate information and guidance to patients. This article describes the formative evaluation of a Web-based continuing education program for nurses and patient health educators on CAM for cancer patients. The outcome data reported here are from the prototype module "CAM and the Prostate Cancer Patient." Development and evaluation of the Cancer CAM ™ continuing education program were based on a two-stage process of formative evaluation. A pilot test assessed the feasibility of the Webbased product to engage nurses and to increase knowledge of CAM, communication skills related to CAM, and self-efficacy related to discussing CAM with patients and colleagues. The results of this pilot test were used to complete the applications for nursing continuing education units (CEUs) and certified health education specialist (CHES) credits and to finetune the prototype module. Based on suggestions from the advisers and nurse pilot testers, health/patient educators were added as a second audience for CAM-related continuing education, and an e-book format was introduced. An evaluation of the prototype addressed the questions o...

Complementary and alternative medicine and critical care nurses: A survey of knowledge and practices in Australia

“…For example, a prototype module ('CAM and the Prostate Cancer Patient') has been developed for a webbased program for nurses and healthcare professionals working with cancer patients. [29] Initial evaluations of this prototype found that the module increased nurses and health educators' knowledge and self-efficacy in CAM and in answering patient's queries. In order to maintain pace with the burgeoning popularity of CAM with the general public, it is important that an appropriate medium through which to convey the learning message is chosen so as to maximise quickly the success of any resource.…”