Barriers and opportunities for a complementary medicine advisory network in pediatric oncology: perspectives from german experts

Complementary medicine (CM) is commonly used by parents of pediatric cancer patients alongside conventional treatment, yet pediatric oncologists often feel inadequately trained to advise on CM. A collaborative project led by Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Herdecke, integrated into inpatient pediatric cancer care in four centers in Germany in the Rhine-Ruhr Region, provides CM consultations and training for pediatric oncology teams. This study aimed to identify barriers perceived by healthcare professionals regarding the implementation of a CM advisory network for parents and assess their training needs. Eleven semi-structured interviews, lasting an average of 17.6 min, were conducted at four locations, including in-person (<i>n</i> = 7) and digital (<i>n</i> = 5) formats. Participants included physicians, senior physicians, residents and nurses. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis to inform targeted training for healthcare professionals to promote safe use of CM. The results highlighted the relevance of CM as perceived by healthcare professionals, as parents expect it to support their child's therapy. There was a notable interplay between parents' desire to explore options beyond conventional treatment and the stress they experience due to their child's diagnosis. The study identified necessary features for implementing a counseling service, emphasizing further training options, consistency, and identifying additional options. For team training, the interviewees stressed the importance of practical orientation and self-exploration. The key barriers identified were the scarcity of resources, including personnel, time, costs, and logistics. The study's findings will inform the development of future educational interventions for healthcare professionals.