Oncology professionals' communication with cancer patients about complementary therapy: a survey

To compare the communication practices of three groups of oncology professionals with regard to discussion of complementary therapies with cancer patients.

A mail survey was completed by a randomly selected, nationwide sample of oncology physicians, oncology nurses, and oncology social workers in the United States.

Respondents indicated how often they initiated discussion of complementary therapies, their comfort level discussing this subject, and the perceived impact on the patient-professional relationship.

Significantly more of the social workers reported that they initiated discussion of complementary therapy compared to physicians and nurses. Physicians and social workers reported being equally comfortable with this topic and more so than nurses. More of the social workers reported believing that discussing complementary therapies can enhance the patient-professional relationship.

Oncology social workers were more amenable to discussing complementary therapies than physicians or nurses. The impact of communication on patient outcomes is addressed.