Publication Language: English
Cultural differences in spiritual care: findings of an Israeli oncologic questionnaire examining patient interest in spiritual care.
Background: As professional spiritual care (chaplaincy) is introduced to new cultures worldwide, it bears examining which elements of screening and care are universal and, for those elements showing cultural difference, to study them in each culture. No quantitative spiritual care patient study had previously been done in Israel. Our objectives were twofold: 1) to examine who …
Illness perception differences between Russian- and Hebrew-speaking Israeli oncology patients.
Illness perception influences health and illness behaviors. This study was designed to estimate illness perception differences between Russian-speaking and Hebrew-speaking Israeli oncology patients. Changes in illness perception associated with time spent in Israel among Russian-speaking patients were also evaluated. Additionally, we evaluated differences in illness perception of patients exposed to Chernobyl’s consequences. A total of …
Stepping from traditional to integrative medicine: Perspectives of Israeli-Arab patients on complementary medicine role in cancer care.
Background: Limited research is available on the perspectives of patients with cancer regarding integration of complementary medicine (CM) in conventional supportive cancer care. The purpose of this study was to explore patients’ perspectives concerning CM integration within conventional oncology settings. Patients and methods: A 27-item questionnaire was constructed and administered to a convenient sample of Arab patients …
Barriers and challenges in integration of anthroposophic medicine in supportive breast cancer care.
In the last decade, more and more oncology centers are challenged with complementary medicine (CM) integration within supportive breast cancer care. Quality of life (QOL) improvement and attenuation of oncology treatment side effects are the core objectives of integrative CM programs in cancer care. Yet, limited research is available on the use of specific CM …
The medical necessity of medicinal cannabis: prospective evaluation of treatment in cancer patients on supportive or palliative care.
Background. Cancer patients using cannabis report better influence from the plant extract than from synthetic products. However, almost all the research conducted to date has been performed with synthetic products. We followed patients with a medicinal cannabis license to evaluate the advantages and side effects of using cannabis by cancer patients. Methods. The study included …
Mistletoe as complementary treatment in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with carboplatin-based combinations: A randomised phase II study.
Introduction: Mistletoe preparations, such as iscador, are common complementary medications. This randomised phase II study of iscador combined with carboplatin-containing regimens was conducted in chemotherapy-naïve advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients to assess its influence on chemotherapy-related side-effects and QoL. Methods: Patients with advanced NSCLC were randomised to receive chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus iscador thrice weekly …
“Balint group” meetings for Oncology residents as a tool to improve therapeutic communication skills and reduce burnout level.
Medical training, particularly residency, may pose many challenges and may lead to burnout. Oncology training may be more stressful, given the prolonged exposure to death and dying. Balint group is an intervention method common in medical training, aimed at improving communication skills and strengthening doctor-patient relationships. We arranged for our oncology residents, guided by a …
