Development and initial validation of a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) knowledge instrument.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Services Research
• Patient Education

Background:

• Many cancer patients utilize complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) without adequate knowledge.
• Informed decision-making regarding CAM is crucial for patient safety and treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a reliable instrument measuring cancer patients' knowledge of CAM therapies.
• To provide a tool for assessing the essential knowledge needed for informed CAM decisions.

Main Methods:

• A 20-item instrument was created and refined using cognitive interviewing.
• The instrument was administered to 800 breast cancer survivors via mail.
• Test-retest reliability was assessed by re-administering the survey after 2 weeks.

Main Results:

• Exploratory factor analysis identified a 13-item unidimensional scale.
• A plausible 2-factor solution emerged: knowledge of CAM features (7 items) and knowledge of regulatory issues (6 items).

Conclusions:

• The 13-item instrument is suitable for general assessment of CAM knowledge.
• The 2 subscales can be utilized for a more detailed evaluation of specific knowledge areas.