Communicating CAM: How to Talk to Children and Parents About CAM in Pediatric Oncology

Cancer treatment requires a holistic approach that includes empathy for the patient and their family. Communication between physicians and patients plays a central role in this approach to patient care, as it is essential for a beneficial physician-patient relationship and important for therapeutic success. But in the busy, everyday life of a pediatric oncology ward, it is difficult to fulfill all needs of the patients and patient-centered communication is often neglected. The additional requirements of patients using CAM can challenge and frustrate the pediatric oncologist as well as the patient, and thereby, further impair communication. Thus, a holistic approach to cancer treatment requires good skills in communication as well as in explaining the patient’s health situation and its appropriate therapies. This chapter presents an overview of the latest literature on how patients/parents deal with questions concerning CAM and which expectations they have towards their physicians. The advantages of including discussions about CAM in oncologist-patient communication in pediatric oncology are listed, and recommendations for effective discussion of CAM in oncological consultations are summarized to six core functions of physician-patient communication. This chapter will increase the reader’s attention to a patient-centered communication and the reader’s communication skills for a better patient-physician relationship.