Perception of Patients with Cancer Enquiring About Adjuvant Therapy with Cannabis Medicine for Palliation of Symptoms: An Interview Study among Danish Health Care Professionals.

cancer cannabinoids cannabis health care professionals interview survey palliative care

Journal

Palliative medicine reports
ISSN: 2689-2820
Titre abrégé: Palliat Med Rep
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101770666

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
2022
Historique:
accepted: 18 03 2022
entrez: 13 5 2022
pubmed: 14 5 2022
medline: 14 5 2022
Statut: epublish

Résumé

A medicinal cannabis pilot program was launched in Denmark in 2018 to support patients as countermeasure against self-medication by use of cannabis products from the illicit market. The aim was to facilitate patient access to adjuvate therapy using medicinal cannabis under the guidance of physicians. The aim of this interview study was to elucidate how health care professionals (HCPs) perceive cancer patients enquiring about cannabis medicine (CM), including medicinal cannabis and cannabis-based medicine, for adjuvant palliative therapy. The program used semistructured qualitative research interviews with thematic analysis. Fifty HCPs took part in the study with 10 informants in each of the following 5 groups: oncologists, palliative care specialists, general practitioners, registered nurses in oncology, and in palliative care. The informants reported that optional CM as adjuvant therapy was only discussed when initiated by the patient or relatives. Reluctance by HCPs to enter into a dialogue about CM with their patients was mainly explained by the lack of clinical evidence for the use of CM in palliative care of patients with cancer. None of the oncologists had ever prescribed CM, while three palliative care specialists and two general practitioners had issued prescriptions on rare occasions. HCPs involved in cancer treatment and palliative care are in general reluctant to discuss optional adjuvant CM therapy with their patients. The Danish health care authorities need to address this barrier to ensure that patients eligible for CM therapy are given this option as intended by the launch of the national pilot program.

Sections du résumé

Background UNASSIGNED
A medicinal cannabis pilot program was launched in Denmark in 2018 to support patients as countermeasure against self-medication by use of cannabis products from the illicit market. The aim was to facilitate patient access to adjuvate therapy using medicinal cannabis under the guidance of physicians.
Objective UNASSIGNED
The aim of this interview study was to elucidate how health care professionals (HCPs) perceive cancer patients enquiring about cannabis medicine (CM), including medicinal cannabis and cannabis-based medicine, for adjuvant palliative therapy.
Design UNASSIGNED
The program used semistructured qualitative research interviews with thematic analysis.
Setting/Participants UNASSIGNED
Fifty HCPs took part in the study with 10 informants in each of the following 5 groups: oncologists, palliative care specialists, general practitioners, registered nurses in oncology, and in palliative care.
Results UNASSIGNED
The informants reported that optional CM as adjuvant therapy was only discussed when initiated by the patient or relatives. Reluctance by HCPs to enter into a dialogue about CM with their patients was mainly explained by the lack of clinical evidence for the use of CM in palliative care of patients with cancer. None of the oncologists had ever prescribed CM, while three palliative care specialists and two general practitioners had issued prescriptions on rare occasions.
Conclusion UNASSIGNED
HCPs involved in cancer treatment and palliative care are in general reluctant to discuss optional adjuvant CM therapy with their patients. The Danish health care authorities need to address this barrier to ensure that patients eligible for CM therapy are given this option as intended by the launch of the national pilot program.

Identifiants

pubmed: 35558863
doi: 10.1089/pmr.2021.0056
pii: 10.1089/pmr.2021.0056
pmc: PMC9081033
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Pagination

75-79

Informations de copyright

© Dorte Buchwald et al., 2022; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

No competing financial interests exist.

Références

J Palliat Med. 2020 Apr;23(4):558-562
pubmed: 31539298
Ann Palliat Med. 2018 Oct;7(4):463-477
pubmed: 30180728
J Clin Oncol. 2018 Jul 1;36(19):1957-1962
pubmed: 29746226
Br J Pain. 2017 Aug;11(3):119-133
pubmed: 28785408
Qual Life Res. 1994 Jun;3(3):183-9
pubmed: 7920492
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:510392
pubmed: 23956774
Eur J Intern Med. 2018 Mar;49:37-43
pubmed: 29482741
Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2019 Aug 01;11:1758835919866362
pubmed: 31413731
J Palliat Med. 2020 May;23(5):650-655
pubmed: 31800354
JAMA. 2015 Jun 23-30;313(24):2456-73
pubmed: 26103030
J Support Oncol. 2008 Mar;6(3):119-24
pubmed: 18402303
J Pain. 2012 May;13(5):438-49
pubmed: 22483680
J Pain Symptom Manage. 2010 Feb;39(2):167-79
pubmed: 19896326
Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. 2018 Oct 01;3(1):195-202
pubmed: 30426072
J Oncol Pract. 2019 Apr;15(4):e338-e345
pubmed: 30860938
BMJ Open. 2018 Jul 3;8(7):e022101
pubmed: 29970456
Ann Oncol. 2011 Sep;22(9):2086-2093
pubmed: 21343383
Eur J Intern Med. 2018 Mar;49:12-19
pubmed: 29307505
J Pain Symptom Manage. 2014 Jan;47(1):90-104
pubmed: 23764109
J Palliat Med. 2020 Aug;23(8):1090-1093
pubmed: 31710262
J Pain Symptom Manage. 2015 Feb;49(2):223-30
pubmed: 24937161
J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007 Jul;34(1):94-104
pubmed: 17509812
Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017 Sep 22;114(38):627-634
pubmed: 29017688
Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2015 Jun;97(6):575-86
pubmed: 25777363
J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2018 Apr;9(2):220-234
pubmed: 29400010

Auteurs

Dorte Buchwald (D)

Unit of Palliative Care, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Hjoerring, Denmark.

Kristina A I Winter (KAI)

Unit of Palliative Care, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Hjoerring, Denmark.

Dorte Brønnum (D)

Center for Clinical Research, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Hjoerring, Denmark.

Dorte Melgaard (D)

Center for Clinical Research, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Hjoerring, Denmark.
Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.

Peter D C Leutscher (PDC)

Center for Clinical Research, North Denmark Regional Hospital, Hjoerring, Denmark.
Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.

Classifications MeSH