BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies (10/19/24) Weis, Joachim; Jablotschkin, Martina; Horneber, Markus; et al.

A recent observational study sought to implement an educational concept regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for group leaders of cancer self-help groups. The educational concept, which was created and piloted with healthcare professionals and representatives of various self-help groups in Germany, aimed to provide an evidence-based discussion of CAM's possibilities and limitations and provide assistance on how to identify and assess dependable and evidence-based sources of information. During an on-site training session, 50 self-help group leaders learned about a number of CAM topics, so they could teach the educational concept in their self-help groups. Group leaders and participants evaluated the educational concept in terms of acceptance, usefulness, and satisfaction. Common obstacles cited by group leaders included organizational and structural issues, and being overwhelmed with the management of the program for their groups. Among the 423 participants who were educated, most said they were satisfied with the program and felt their knowledge about CAM had increased, with more confidence reported at 6-month follow-up. The findings demonstrate the successful implementation of the educational concept for CAM in cancer self-help groups. Going forward, the researchers say the concept will be adjusted to include a CAM professional and a group leader to educate the self-help groups.

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