Background: Patients with cancer often require advice on complementary medicine (CM) from their family practitioners, and family practitioners feel responsible for providing sound advice on this subject. Therefore, our aim was to examine family practitioners’ needs for information with respect to CM for patients with cancer. In addition, we investigated how family practitioners obtain relevant information, and what patterns of use of information sources exist in these groups.Methods: Data were collected using an online survey conducted during the course of a larger project. For the study at hand, data from the group of family practitioners were evaluated both descriptively and using latent class analysis (LCA). Patterns (i.e. subtypes) of different ways of sourcing information were identified by means of LCA.Results: Data from 219 family practitioners based in 16 federal states were evaluated (56 % women; mean age 54 years). 84 % had an additional qualification (AQ) in the field of CM; 56 % were qualified in homeopathy. In this sample of persons ‘open’ to CM, almost 60 % had to search (often or very often) for information on CM in everyday practice. Respondents would have liked an overview of CM methods and details of specific procedures. There is a substantial need for information on the treatment of typical cancer symptoms and side effects associated with cancer therapies. The first sub-class (62 % family practitioners with an AQ in homeopathy, 46 % without) obtained information from various sources, but primarily from reference books and journals and by contacting experts/colleagues. A second sub-class (38 % family practitioners with an AQ in homeopathy, 54 % without) consulted information sources less frequently overall.Conclusions: A need for information material and training relating to CM for patients with cancer was sought by surveyed family practitioners even if they had an additional qualification in the field of CM.
382 Originalarbeit Neukonzeption eines Kurses zur ärztlichen Gesprächsführung im Rahmen der vorklinischen Ausbildung von Studierenden der Medizin New...
382 Originalarbeit Neukonzeption eines Kurses zur ärztlichen Gesprächsführung im Rahmen der vorklinischen Ausbildung von Studierenden der Medizin New...
Abstract: Family physicians are important partners in family practice research. To get practices actively involved in research activities is one of the most challenging aspects. Therefore the experience gained by 23 representatives from eight family medicine research groups during communication-based intervention studies with family practices, were identified. The researchers discussed their experiences with participation, recruitment and motivation of study practices. Results show that an early involvement of family physicians in identifying relevant research questions and in developing concrete study designs is important to assure practice relevance and transferability. In research on patient-doctor communication, family physicians’ expertise needs to be taken into account to increase practitioners’ willingness to participate. Peer training strategies have been shown to be useful in improving communication skills.With regard to individual competences and learning needs, family physicians show a broad range of expectations of communication-based interventions. Therefore, research teams need to provide flexibility to meet participants’ needs and expectations.
