Cannabis Use among Patients in a Rural Academic Palliative Care Clinic.

Background: Therapeutic cannabis is being more widely used by patients to manage multiple symptoms, but the patterns of use in the palliative care population are not well defined. Objective: The primary aim of this pilot study was to describe the use of cannabis among patients attending a palliative care clinic (PCC). Design: The study was a retrospective chart review of patients seen at four different interval points during 2017 and 2018 in an ambulatory palliative care setting. Setting/Subjects: The study was conducted at a 396-bed rural academic medical center in the PCC, where the majority of patients have oncological diseases. Results: Clinicians saw 299 unique patients during the four one-month time periods reviewed. Eighty-three patients (27%) reported use of any form of cannabis. The most common reasons for cannabis use were pain (n = 49, 59%), anorexia (n = 16, 19%), insomnia (n = 14, 17%), nausea (n = 13, 16%), anxiety (n = 8, 10%), and depression (n = 5, 6%). Twenty-six patients (31%) used cannabis for more than one symptom. Among the 83 patients using cannabis, 60 (72%) were also prescribed opioids with 32% on immediate-release only and 25% on both immediate- and extended-release opioids. These 60 patients on opioids and cannabis represent 33% of all patients prescribed opioids in this clinic. Tetrahydrocannabinol was present in 25% of the 73 urine drug screens. Conclusions: Our data show a significant minority of patients in a PCC use cannabis. Further research should focus on more detailed information about formulation use, methods of ingestion, perceived efficacy, side effects, cost, and standardization of clinical practices. Given the prevalence of cannabis use, further research into its efficacy, side effects, and safety is needed, including whether patients with prior/active substance use receive more or less benefit or harm from cannabis use.

Immediate Symptom Relief After a First Session of Massage Therapy or Reiki in Hospitalized Patients: A 5-Year Clinical Experience from a Rural Academic Medical Center.

OBJECTIVES: There is an increasing demand for and use of alternative and complementary therapies, such as reiki and massage therapy, in hospital-based settings. Most controlled studies and practice-based reports include oncology and surgical patient populations; thus the effect in a more heterogeneous hospitalized patient population is hard to estimate. We examined the immediate symptom relief from a single reiki or massage session in a hospitalized population at a rural academic medical center. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on demographic, clinical, process, and quality of life for hospitalized patients receiving massage therapy or reiki. SETTINGS/LOCATION: A 396-bed rural academic and tertiary medical center in the United States. SUBJECTS: Hospitalized patients requesting or referred to the healing arts team who received either a massage or reiki session and completed both a pre- and post-therapy symptom questionnaire. INTERVENTIONS: First session of routine reiki or massage therapy during a hospital stay. OUTCOME MEASURES: Differences between pre- and postsession patient-reported scores in pain, nausea, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and overall well-being using an 11-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Patients reported symptom relief with both reiki and massage therapy. Analysis of the reported data showed reiki improved fatigue (-2.06 vs. -1.55 p < 0.0001) and anxiety (-2.21 vs. -1.84 p < 0.001) statistically more than massage. Pain, nausea, depression, and well being changes were not statistically different between reiki and massage encounters. Immediate symptom relief was similar for cancer and noncancer patients for both reiki and massage therapy and did not vary based on age, gender, length of session, and baseline symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Reiki and massage clinically provide similar improvements in pain, nausea, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and overall well-being while reiki improved fatigue and anxiety more than massage therapy in a heterogeneous hospitalized patient population. Controlled trials should be considered to validate the data.