Adapting a palliative care-focused cancer self- and family management intervention for use in Israel.

BACKGROUND: In Israel, there is a need to improve quality of life and health outcomes among patients and families facing cancer. Increasing awareness of, literacy about, and availability of palliative care may further this goal. AIMS: This study aimed to adapt a palliative care-focused cancer self- and family management intervention developed in the US for use in Israel. METHODS: The Managing Cancer Care (MCC) psycho-educational intervention is comprised of Managing Cancer Care: A Personal Guide (MCC-PT©) for patients and Managing Cancer Care: A Caregiver's Guide (MCC-CG©) for family caregivers. Following translation into Hebrew, an expert panel of Israeli nurses edited the MCC tool for cultural relevance. The authors then conducted qualitative interviews with patients with breast cancer and their family caregivers to obtain feedback. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: Following recommendations from Israeli experts in oncology and/or palliative care (n=3), the authors revised intervention content specific to the US healthcare system and culture. Patients' (n=13) and family caregivers' (n=10) reported MCC as attractive (70%, 80%), topically relevant (80%, 70%), and culturally appropriate, but felt that palliative care resources should be more Israel-specific. CONCLUSION: The MCC tool is acceptable to potential users, warranting further pilot-testing.

Attitudes Among Nurses Toward the Integration of Complementary Medicine Into Supportive Cancer Care.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To explore the attitudes of nurses treating patients with cancer regarding the use of complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) therapies to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life (QOL). 
. DESIGN: Prospective and descriptive.
 
. SETTING: 12 hospital and community care settings in Israel. 
. SAMPLE: 973 nurses working in oncology and non-oncology departments.
. METHODS: A 26-item questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of nurses treating patients with cancer. 
. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Interest in CIM integration and training in supportive cancer care.
. FINDINGS: Of the 973 nurses who completed the questionnaire, 934 expressed interest in integrating CIM into supportive cancer care. A logistic regression model indicated that nurses with a greater interest in integration tended to be older, believed that CIM improved patients' QOL, and had no structured postgraduate oncology training. Nurses who believed CIM to be beneficial for QOL-related outcomes were more likely to express interest in related training. The goals of such training include improving QOL-related outcomes, such as anxiety, insomnia, gastrointestinal symptoms, and pain. 
. CONCLUSIONS: Most nurses working with patients with cancer are interested in the integration of CIM into supportive cancer care. 
. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Most nurses would like to undergo training in CIM to supplement conventional care. CIM-trained integrative nurses can help promote the integration of patient-centered CIM therapies in supportive cancer care settings.