Characteristics of patients presenting to Western Australian cancer support centres: Patient rated outcomes and use of complementary therapy   — ASN Events
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Characteristics of patients presenting to Western Australian cancer support centres: Patient rated outcomes and use of complementary therapy   (#837)

Bonnie Furzer 1 2 , Kemi Wright 1 , Anna Petterson 2 3 4 , David Joske 1 2 3 , Timothy Ackland 1 , Karen Wallman 1
  1. University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
  2. Collaborative Research Team, SolarisCare Foundation, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  3. Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  4. Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia

Objectives: To determine the medical and demographic characteristics, in addition to patient rated outcomes of individuals presenting to SolarisCare cancer support centres.

Methods: A cohort with a current or previous cancer diagnosis aged 18 – 87 years presenting to SolarisCare centres with the intent to receive services completed a written questionnaire bundle incorporating medical and demographic variables together with patient rated outcomes including health related quality of life (HRQoL). The four SolarisCare centres participated in the trial over a 5-day period and included two regional and two metropolitan locations throughout Western Australia

Results: Of the 95 participants who completed the questionnaires (70.3%) the mean age was 60.5 years with 62% currently receiving treatment. Eighty per cent of the sample had at least 1 other comorbid condition and the most popular complementary modality being relaxation massage.  Of the PROs, HRQoL was significantly poorer that the Australian general population and other mixed cancer populations. No notable differences were seen between genders, however significantly poorer patient rated outcomes were seen for the younger age group. Fifty per cent of the population did not meet physical activity recommendations, and musculoskeletal symptoms explained the variance  of  25-27% in HRQoL.

Conclusions: To effectively target and tailor support strategies it is crucial to have a comprehensive picture of the individuals presenting for services. The increasing uptake of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with high levels of distress or dysfunction makes it imperative to work collaboratively and ensure communication between patient, physician and cancer support services. This will help ensure the safety of practices pursued by patients outside of mainstream medical care and foster optimal clinical outcomes.