Patient-reported quality of life and experiences after an in-hospital integrative medicine consultation in an oncological cohort

• During the integrative medicine consultation service (IMCS), the outcome often covered topics not initially raised by patients. • Oncological patients visiting the IMCS were very satisfied about the service. • Quality of life improved in patients after visiting the IMCS compared to pre-consultation. As cancer incidence and the number of survivors increases, interest in enhancing empowerment, quality of life and recovery rises. Integrative medicine, provides a medical framework serving these purposes, including evidence based guidance regarding lifestyle interventions and complementary care. While interest in integrative medicine services is growing, more research on its impact on patient reported outcomes and experiences is essential. This retrospective cohort study aims to add insight in how an integrative medicine consultation service in a large teaching hospital impacts patient reported quality of life and experiences. Patient-reported outcomes and experiences were obtained from oncological patients up to eighteen months after visiting the integrative medicine consultation service. Baseline characteristics and patient experiences were described and statistical analysis were conducted to assess changes in quality of life after visiting the consultation service. A total of 279 patients visited the service, with up to 92% of patients reporting positive experiences post-consultation. Significant improvements in quality of life were observed eighteen months post-consultation. 58% of patients demonstrated a significant improvement in physical health, and 43% in mental health T-scores which was not statistically significant. This study provided important insights into the patient reported outcomes as well as experiences, indicating that integrative medicine consultations could have a positive impact on the quality of life of oncological patients. However, due to the absence of a control group, the efficacy as opposed to treatment as usual cannot be determined. Given the high patient satisfaction, further research is necessary to support and facilitate the implementation of these promising consultation services. no funding was received