Complementary health practitioners' attitudes, practices and knowledge related to women's cancers

Abstract

Objective: To document the attitudes, practices and knowledge of 3 groups of complementary practitioners (naturopathic doctors, chiropractors and massage therapists) regarding women's cancers in general and ovarian cancer specifically.

Design: A mailed survey questionnaire was followed by a reminder card and a second mailing of the questionnaire.

Settings: National samples were obtained for naturopathic doctors and chiropractors. The massage therapist sample was drawn from Ontario only because of the absence of a national listing of massage therapists.

Main outcome measures: Practitioners reported response to patients' suspicious symptoms. Practitioners' perceptions of patients' motivations for seeking treatment. Practitioners' satisfaction with interactions with conventional practitioners. Practitioners' perceptions of their role in the care of women at risk of, or diagnosed with, cancer. Practitioners' perceptions of their knowledge regarding women's cancers. Practitioners' knowledge specific to ovarian cancer.

Results: A total of 894 completed questionnaires were returned, providing a response rate of 56%. The vast majority of practitioners who saw women with symptoms possibly related to cancer referred them to a family physician or a cancer specialist. Motivations that practitioners most frequently heard expressed by women seeking complementary treatments were "maximizing quality of life," "seeking natural approaches to healing" and "looking to stay well when disease is in remission." Most respondents were dissatisfied with patient-related communication with both family physicians and cancer specialists. The majority of complementary practitioners indicated that they have an important role to play in the postdiagnostic care of women with cancer. Considerable interest was expressed in further education concerning ovarian cancer.

Conclusions: Whereas the professions reached through this survey differ in important ways from each other, they share an interest in being involved in the care of women with cancer, as well as an enthusiasm for the development of continuing professional education programs to help them better serve their clients.