Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia.
The University of Sydney, University Centre for Rural Health, Lismore, Australia.
Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2019 Aug;36:88-93. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.06.005. Epub 2019 Jun 13.
Indigenous Australian women experience worse gynaecological cancer outcomes than non-Indigenous women. While traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) is increasingly used by cancer patients alongside conventional treatments, little is known about T&CM use by Indigenous women. This study aimed to explore the beliefs, attitudes and experiences related to T&CM use and disclosure among Indigenous women undergoing gynaecological cancer investigations.
A mixed-methods design explored T&CM use among Indigenous women who presented for gynaecological cancer investigation at an urban Queensland hospital (September 2016 and January 2018).
Fourteen women participated. The reported use (86%) and perceived value of T&CM was high among the participants, however, women reported major challenges in communicating with healthcare providers about T&CM, commonly associated with trust and rapport.
These findings highlight the need for strategies to facilitate culturally-appropriate doctor-patient communication around T&CM to foster trust and transparency in gynaecological cancer care for Indigenous women.
澳大利亚原住民女性在妇科癌症方面的预后比非原住民女性差。虽然癌症患者在接受常规治疗的同时越来越多地使用传统和补充医学（T&CM），但对于原住民女性使用 T&CM 的情况知之甚少。本研究旨在探讨正在接受妇科癌症检查的原住民女性在使用 T&CM 方面的信念、态度和经验，以及她们对 T&CM 的披露情况。
混合方法设计探讨了昆士兰州一家城市医院（2016 年 9 月至 2018 年 1 月）就诊的妇科癌症检查的原住民女性使用 T&CM 的情况。
共有 14 名女性参与了研究。报告的 T&CM 使用（86%）和感知价值在参与者中很高，但是，女性报告了与医疗保健提供者沟通 T&CM 方面存在主要挑战，这些挑战通常与信任和融洽有关。
这些发现强调了需要制定策略，以促进文化上适当的医患沟通，促进妇科癌症护理中对原住民女性的信任和透明度。
