Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2004; 9: 56
For many cancer patients searching for information is an important part of making the decision to use complementary therapies (CT). Our objective was to identify what role evidence plays in cancer patients’ search for information.
This was a qualitative study using in-depth semi-structured interviews with cancer patients in five conventional and integrative healthcare institutions in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.
Twenty-one patients were interviewed, representing a wide range of types of cancer: 11 female, mean age 55.3 (range 31–75). Participants sought CT information from a range of sources, including the internet, healthcare providers, health-food stores, and friends and relatives. Many expressed their frustrations stemming from the overwhelming amount of CT information available to them and said they found it difficult to identify what information could be trusted. Evidence was described as reliable information if it supported them in arriving at a decision about CT. Types of evidence that were identified included anecdotes, expert opinion, gut feeling, popular literature, scientific evidence, testimonials/advertising and trial and error. While CT use before the cancer diagnosis and stage of cancer impacted on what type of evidence was considered most important, scientific evidence ranked very low for most patients. Anecdotal evidence was among the top types of evidence patients relied on.
Patients’ perceptions of evidence are vastly different of those of most practitioners and researchers. Practitioners should be aware of this when discussing treatment options with patients. Patient information and education is needed.
Alberta Heritage Foundation of Medical Research.
