Integrating conventional and complementary treatments in cancer care: The process within the public healthcare system of the region of Tuscany, Italy
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Background – Recent research in the field of oncology has yielded important contributions concerning all the cancer disease phases. A growing amount of data is available regarding patient needs related to the physical and psychosocial sequelae of cancer and their association with overall quality of life (QoL) [1]. Such needs may be related to specific therapeutic steps and services provided (e.g., patients’ need for more information on their health status), as well as specific symptom management (e.g., Aim – The present study describes the process for implementation of IO practice within the public healthcare system of the Region of Tuscany, Italy, which represents a successful example of IO practice both at a national and international level. Design – This is a narrative report. Methods – The Region of Tuscany has pursued a progressive integration of CM in mainstream cancer care over the past 15 years, thus providing an operational roadmap for other clinical and research facilities (Rossi et al., 2018) [15]. The Region’s goals in this area can be divided into four key areas: 1) evidence-based research on IO and dissemination of the results; 2) legislative steps for IO services implementation in the Tuscan territory; 3) education and information on CM for healthcare providers and Continual evidence-based research in CM and dissemination of the results for healthcare professionals, patients, and citizens is one of Tuscany’s macro-objectives. The Region has thus implemented multiple national and international initiatives in this area. At a national level, the integration process began with the creation of a Working Group of oncologists and CM experts in 2008–2010, in order to establish a dialogue among different approaches and to write a literature review on the use of CM. Discussion – The prevalence of CM use rates among cancer patients in Italy and Europe is very high, and patients seem to exhibit multiple motivations for CM use [3,16]. In particular, CM use seems to be motivated by patients’ unmet needs (i.e., those needs which are not satisfied due to a perceived gap between the level of service provided and patients’ desired support and outcomes). Additionally, CM use seems to have a striking impact on patients’ sense of empowerment and overall well-being. Conclusions – The implementation of IO services is crucial for providing patients with safe, effective, and high-quality treatments and it has a relevant impact on their QoL, empowerment, and overall well-being. The operational methods utilized within the Tuscan public healthcare system are feasible and easy to apply to other Italian regions and European countries that have a similar regional healthcare system organization.
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