Complementary therapy use by cancer patients. Physicians' perceptions, attitudes, and ideas.

OBJECTIVE To explore family physicians' perceptions of their cancer patients' use of complementary therapy.

DESIGN Qualitative pilot study.

SETTING British Columbia and Alberta.

PARTICIPANTS Rural and urban family physicians.

METHOD Five focus groups were conducted with a total of 28 participants. Content analysis of focus group transcripts.

MAIN FINDINGS Eight themes were identified: definition of complementary therapies, importance of holistic health, role of evidence, attitudes toward complementary therapies, perceptions of cancer patients' use of complementary therapies, patient-physician communication, perceptions of family physicians' role with respect to complementary therapies, and concerns about complementary therapies. Family physicians believed that many of their patients were using complementary therapies and that patients and physicians needed to communicate about this practice.

CONCLUSION The study increased understanding of physicians'perspectives on communication about complementary therapies and exposed issues that need to be addressed through education and research.