Issues that influence patient/physician discussion of complementary therapies

This article explores what patients expect from physicians when discussing complementary therapies. Counsellors at four cancer centres, under the ausp ices of the British Columbia Cancer Agency, discuss their clinical observat ions in working with oncology patients. They present perspectives of factor s that influence the patient/physician discussion of complementary therapie s. Some of the common themes include desire for collaboration and control, need for understanding treatment information, maintenance of hope, and trus t of the physician. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reser ved.