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Developing an operational model for an integrative oncology program: a qualitative descriptive feasibility study

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Supportive Care in Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

We describe a descriptive qualitative study with the purpose of assessing the feasibility of developing an integrative oncology program in our region.

Methods

We conducted 39 interviews and two focus groups (n = 20) with cancer patients, their caregivers and complementary and conventional (n = 15) healthcare professionals.

Results

One primary theme emerged, acceptance or tolerance of an integrative oncology program, which represents concepts within four emergent categories: (1) operational model; (2) values to guide an integrative oncology program; (3) physical location and design; and (4) facilitators and barriers to establishing an integrative oncology program.

Conclusions

The study was instrumental in establishing support for an integrative oncology program in our region, including a feasible model. Based in part on the results of this study, the Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre (www.oicc.ca) opened in November 2011. We recommend a similar process of stakeholder engagement for others who wish to develop an integrative program in their location.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Sarah Young for her valuable help managing the interview process, including conducting some of the participant interviews. We also thank Jodi Peters for her work in transcribing the interview and focus group discussions. This study was funded by the Lotte & John Hecht Memorial Foundation. The funder had no role in study design, data collection, analysis or interpretation, manuscript writing, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors have a financial relationship with the sponsor of this research. Further, the authors maintain full control of the data and agree to allow the journal to review the data if requested.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre, 29 Bayswater Avenue, Ottawa, Canada, K1Y 2E5

    Laura Weeks & Dugald Seely

  2. Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, 1255 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto, Canada, M2K 1E2

    Dugald Seely

  3. Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology Program, 1053 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Canada, K1Y 4E9

    Dugald Seely & Dawn Stacey

  4. Ottawa Hospital Cancer Program, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Canada, K1H 8 L6

    Cathy DeGrasse & Shailendra Verma

  5. Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, Canada, M5S 3 M2

    Heather Boon

  6. Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Canada, T2N 4Z6

    Marja Verhoef

  7. University of Ottawa, School of Nursing, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Canada, K1H 8 M5

    Dawn Stacey

Authors
  1. Laura Weeks
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  2. Dugald Seely
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  3. Cathy DeGrasse
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  4. Shailendra Verma
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  5. Heather Boon
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  6. Marja Verhoef
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  7. Dawn Stacey
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Weeks.

Additional information

Relevance

The study described in this manuscript will be of relevance to program planners, administrators, policy makers and other cancer care professionals. It highlights an increasing acceptance of the integration of complementary therapies into mainstream cancer care, and a rigorous methodological approach to program development we followed to ensure buy in from a range of stakeholders. In this manuscript we outline a program for integrative oncology that is feasible and acceptable to stakeholders in our region. The outlined program could serve as a foundation for integrative oncology program development in other jurisdictions.

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Weeks, L., Seely, D., DeGrasse, C. et al. Developing an operational model for an integrative oncology program: a qualitative descriptive feasibility study. Support Care Cancer 22, 731–739 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-2028-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-013-2028-8

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