Abstract
In northern Israel, many patients with cancer from the Muslim, Christian Arab, and Druze communities tend to use complementary and traditional medicine (CTM), mainly herbal remedies, during the period in which they receive chemotherapy and active oncology treatment. CTM integration within the oncology department, when based on a research-oriented approach and nonjudgmental communication skills of physicians and practitioners with dual training in CTM and supportive care, may provide patients with safe and efficacious tools to improve their well-being and ameliorate gastrointestinal and emotional concerns and chemotherapy-induced side effects. Modeling integrative care to patients who encounter cancer diagnosis and treatment is a challenging undertaking. In this chapter, we present the narratives of four patients referred to integrative medicine consultation provided free of charge to patients receiving chemotherapy at the Lin Medical Center’s oncology service, Haifa, Israel. Challenges and barriers to integrative care provision are discussed and recommendations to tailor therapy goals to patients’ needs are suggested in this chapter.
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Thanks to Marianne Steinmetz for editing the chapter.
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Ben-Arye, E., Dagash, J. (2016). Modeling Integrative Oncology for the Arab Population in Northern Israel. In: Silbermann, M. (eds) Cancer Care in Countries and Societies in Transition. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22912-6_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22912-6_5
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