Information and Training Needs of Pediatric Oncologists in Complementary and Integrative Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

More than one third of all German pediatric patients with cancer use complementary and integrative medicine (CIM). Parents want to discuss the topic of CIM with their pediatric oncologists (POs); however, POs mostly do not feel confident discussing these topics. POs report openness to receiving further information and training, but CIM training opportunities in medical education seem rare. We investigated POs’ information and training needs and preference patterns regarding CIM training content with a paper-based or online survey. A total of 101 POs from Germany completed the survey. Only 11.4% agreed to being sufficiently informed of CIM. The participants stated needing further CIM information very often (8.6%), often (38.7%), or occasionally (44.1%). They considered an overview of CIM therapies and information about relaxation methods, herbal remedies, and acupuncture for cancer-related symptoms such as lack of appetite, nausea, or vomiting as most important in CIM training material, and also the topics of adverse effects and summary of evidence. Finally, POs reported on clinical situations in which a need for further information on CIM emerged. The results of our study indicate that there is a need for a structured training that offers knowledge and skills on the subject of patient counseling on CIM in pediatric oncology.