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Integration of complementary medicine in supportive cancer care: survey of health-care providers’ perspectives from 16 countries in the Middle East

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Abstract

Introduction

In this multinational Middle-Eastern study, we assessed health-care providers’ (HCPs) perspectives on their patients’ use of complementary and traditional medicine (CTM) and identified the leading barriers to CTM integration in supportive cancer care.

Methods

A 17-item questionnaire was developed and administered to HCPs attending palliative medicine workshops conducted across the Middle East by the Middle East Cancer Consortium.

Results

339 HCPs from 16 countries across the Middle East completed the questionnaire (80.3 % response rate). Respondents perceived their patients’ reasons for CTM use primarily in the context of cancer cure (63 %) and quality of life (QOL) improvement (57 %). Expectation regarding CTM’s role in cancer cure/survival was more pronounced in Turkey, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and the Persian Gulf area. In contrast, the expectation that CTM would improve QOL was more emphasized in Israel. A mid-position between the cure/survival and QOL poles was observed in Cyprus, Lebanon, and the North African countries. Leading barriers to CTM integration in supportive cancer care included oncologists’ skepticism and a gap between patients’ expectations and HCP’s objectives. Respondents’ leading recommendation to HCPs was to communicate integrative care emphasizing well-being and improved functioning in accordance with their patients’ health beliefs.

Conclusion

CTM integration in supportive cancer care can be facilitated by implementing a platform for Middle Eastern clinical collaborations. HCPs’ expectations and experiences with CTM have been positive in the oncology setting. These data need to be corroborated with information of patients’ expectations on the provision of CTM over all phases of the oncology treatment.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ms. Marianne Steinmetz for editing the English manuscript and Ms. Ronit Leiba for performing the statistical analysis. We also thank the following persons for their contribution in data monitoring: Dr. Orit Gressel-Raz, Ms. Ronit Leibowitz, Ms. Shimrit Roni, Mr. Shmuel Attias, and Ms. Sarah Ben Shlush. This survey was supported in part by funds from the Middle East Cancer Consortium.

Conflict of interest

The authors state that there are neither actual nor potential conflicts of interest, including any financial, personal, or other relationships with other people or organizations whatsoever.

Funding

This work was not supported by grants.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Integrative Oncology Program, The Oncology Service and Lin Medical Center, Clalit Health Services, 35 Rothschild St., Haifa, Western Galilee District, Israel

    Eran Ben-Arye & Jamal Dagash

  2. Complementary and Traditional Medicine Unit, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Eran Ben-Arye

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, and Integrative Medicine Service, Bnai-Zion Hospital, Haifa, Israel

    Elad Schiff

  4. The Department for Complementary Medicine, Law and Ethics, The International Center for Health, Law and Ethics, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel

    Elad Schiff

  5. Center for Palliative Care Research and Education, Dokuz Eylul University, Inciralti, Izmir, Turkey

    Kamer Mutafoglu

  6. Faculty of Nursing, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan

    Suha Omran

  7. American University in Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

    Ramzi Hajjar

  8. Bank of Cyprus Oncology Center, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Haris Charalambous

  9. Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Tahani Dweikat

  10. Makassed Charitable Hospital, East Jerusalem, Palestine

    Ibtisam Ghrayeb

  11. Division of Oncology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel

    Gil Bar Sela

  12. Dr. A.Y Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

    Ibrahim Turker

  13. National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Doha, Qatar

    Azza Hassan

  14. Botany Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

    Esmat Hassan

  15. David Yellin Academic College, Jerusalem, Israel

    Ariela Popper-Giveon

  16. Qasemi Research Center, Al-Qasemi Academy, Baqa El-Gharbia, Israel

    Bashar Saad

  17. Palestinian Authority, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Arab American University, Jenin, Palestine

    Bashar Saad

  18. Department of Cancer Prevention, Ministry of Health, Amman, Jordan

    Omar Nimri

  19. Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Rejin Kebudi

  20. Middle East Cancer Consortium, Haifa, Israel

    Michael Silbermann

Authors
  1. Eran Ben-Arye
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  2. Elad Schiff
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  3. Kamer Mutafoglu
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  4. Suha Omran
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  5. Ramzi Hajjar
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  6. Haris Charalambous
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  7. Tahani Dweikat
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  8. Ibtisam Ghrayeb
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  9. Gil Bar Sela
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  10. Ibrahim Turker
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  11. Azza Hassan
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  12. Esmat Hassan
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  13. Ariela Popper-Giveon
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  14. Bashar Saad
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  15. Omar Nimri
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  16. Rejin Kebudi
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  17. Jamal Dagash
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  18. Michael Silbermann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eran Ben-Arye.

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Ben-Arye, E., Schiff, E., Mutafoglu, K. et al. Integration of complementary medicine in supportive cancer care: survey of health-care providers’ perspectives from 16 countries in the Middle East. Support Care Cancer 23, 2605–2612 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2619-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2619-7

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