Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2004; 9: 03
This study explores the perspectives of cancer patients accessing CAM within a primary care setting.
Semi-structured interviews were used to explore cancer patients’ perspectives of their experience of accessing a CAM intervention. Interviews were carried out with n = 11 patients recruited from a primary care trust who were receiving reflexology at the practice in addition to their usual medical care. In addition the MYCAW questionnaire was administered before and after the intervention. Ethical approval was obtained prior to commencement of the study.
Thematic analysis indicated three main areas: concerns, experiences and values. The concerns identified centred around physical symptoms and fears about diagnosis and prognosis, although the emphasis differed in patients who had been diagnosed for more than 12 months. Experiences clustered around the benefits of the patient–therapist interaction, and the importance of the relaxation response, which was reported to alleviate physical symptoms. Patients highlighted the CAM treatment process as a learning process within which they perceived themselves as becoming more self-aware and involved. A significant improvement in the patients’ identified main area of concern was found following intervention.
The CAM approach used in this study appeared to help individuals to cope with diagnosis, prognosis and symptoms, and was a useful adjuvant intervention. Physical symptoms and anxiety may have been alleviated by the relaxation response and the patient–therapist interaction. Recommendations and challenges for evaluation and practice development were identified and future research indicated.
