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Utilization of integrative medicine differs by age among pediatric oncology patients

Hyeongjun Yun1, Sally A D Romero1, Benjamin Record1

  • 1Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.

Pediatric Blood & Cancer
|February 2, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Integrative medicine (IM) use in pediatric cancer patients varies significantly by age. Younger children receive therapies like dance and music, while older patients use mind-body, massage, and acupuncture. Tailoring IM to developmental stages is crucial for effective cancer care.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Integrative Medicine
  • Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

  • Caring for pediatric cancer patients presents unique challenges, requiring specialized, age-appropriate interventions.
  • Integrative Medicine (IM) therapies are increasingly used in pediatric inpatient settings, but their utilization across different age groups is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether the utilization of specific inpatient integrative medicine (IM) therapies differs by patient age in pediatric cancer care.
  • To analyze the relationship between patient age and the type of IM therapy utilized.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective analysis of electronic medical records from 2008-2016 at a tertiary urban cancer center.
  • Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between age and IM therapy type, adjusting for demographic factors.

Main Results:

  • The study analyzed 20,686 visits and 1,877 unique pediatric patients.
  • Significant age-based differences in IM modality use were observed: dance therapy (mean age 5.9 years), music therapy (8.0 years), mind-body therapies (13.0 years), massage (14.5 years), and acupuncture (20.0 years).
  • Age remained a significant predictor for the use of specific IM therapies (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Inpatient IM therapy usage in pediatric cancer patients is significantly age-dependent.
  • Developing and implementing age-appropriate IM interventions tailored to developmental stages is essential for optimizing care and outcomes in children with cancer.
Abstract

Keywords:
acupuncturechilddance therapyinpatientsintegrative medicinemassagemind-body therapiesmusic therapypediatric oncology

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