Fact versus fiction: bridging contrasting medicinal cannabis information needs.

Regulatory changes now permit the availability and prescribing of medicinal cannabis in Australia. Public awareness and patient interest are high. Using a co-design approach involving cancer patients, carers and oncology and palliative care clinicians, two information resources were developed to provide readily available sources of important information for cancer patients and clinicians who are considering the use of medicinal cannabis. Focus groups and evaluation interviews revealed some areas of dissonance between consumers and clinicians concerning aspects of medicinal cannabis.

Identification of low health and cancer literacy in oncology patients: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: Health literacy is a significant public health concern, particularly given the increased complexity of chronic disease health management and health system navigation, and documented associations between low health literacy and poor health outcomes. This study therefore aimed to identify the proportion and characteristics of outpatients visiting a specialist cancer hospital who report low health literacy and/or low cancer health literacy. METHOD: This study used a cross-sectional survey administered verbally with patients attending a specialist cancer hospital located in Melbourne, Australia over a two-week period. Process data on conducting health literacy screening within a clinical setting was collected. RESULTS: Those identified with inadequate general health literacy were different to those identified with low cancer-specific health literacy, although overall both proportions were low. Cross-sectional screening of patients was difficult, despite utilising verbal surveying methods designed to increase capacity for participation. CONCLUSION: Health literacy screening using the tools selected was not useful for identifying or describing patients with low health literacy in this setting, given the disparity in those categorised by each measure. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Until the theoretical construct of health literacy is better defined, measurement of health literacy may not be clinically useful.

Who is asking about medicinal cannabis in palliative care?

Following legislative changes in the availability and prescribing of medicinal cannabis in Australia, we sought to understand prospectively the nature of information seeking and requests for medicinal cannabis in consultations between palliative care clinicians and patients with cancer. The 104 discussions were overwhelmingly initiated by patients and carers (93%) and were for a variety of symptoms, reflecting high levels of patient interest in the use of medicinal cannabis in cancer.