Aproximaciones complementarias y alternativas al cuidado de la salud en el Instituto Nacional de Cancerología: estudio de prevalencia

Información del artículo

Resumen

Objetivo

Determinar la prevalencia de uso de medicinas alternativas y complementarias en los pacientes oncológicos del Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INC) de Colombia.

Métodos

Estudio transversal con un componente cualitativo (grupos focales), a partir del cual se diseñó una encuesta para caracterizar y determinar la frecuencia del uso de terapias alternativas en pacientes del INC.

Resultados

Se aplicaron 359 encuestas en pacientes con distintos tipos de cánceres (ginecológicos, de mama, de piel, de cabeza y cuello, del sistema osteomuscular y gastrointestinales). Se reportaron 38 intervenciones diferentes. La mediana de tratamientos utilizados por paciente fue de 2. El 73,5% de los entrevistados (264 pacientes, IC95%: 68,7%-78%) usaron métodos terapéuticos de medicina complementaria y alternativa; especialmente, del grupo de terapias herbales. La principal fuente de acceso a estas terapias fue a través de familiares o conocidos (68%). Los médicos sólo recomendaron su uso en 8% de los pacientes encuestados.

Conclusiones

Se encontró una reiterada utilización de terapias complementarias y alternativas; el grupo de terapias herbales basadas en plantas fue el más reportado en dicho grupo de pacientes. El acceso a éstas no se hace a través de los sistemas de salud oficiales. En nuestro país se requiere mayor investigación en el área.

Palabras clave:

terapias complementarias

neoplasia

estudios transversales

prevalencia

Summary

Objective

To determine use prevalence for alternative and complementary medicines at the National Cancer Institute of Colombia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out. Focus groups were used for designing the survey.

Results

359 surveys were carried out corresponding to patients with different types of cancer. In total 38 types of complementary medicines were reported and the median number of therapies per patient was 2. Some 73.5% (95%CI 68.7%-78.0%) used complementary and alternative therapies, being the group of herbal medicine the most commonly used. Doctors recommended their use in 8% of cases. The family and nearby persons were the main source for accessing this type of therapies.

Conclusions

There is a high-frequency utilization of complementary and alternative therapies. The group of herbal medicine is the most common. The findings contradict the lack of access to this type of therapies within the health system. In our country, additional research is needed in this area.

Key words:

Complementary therapies

neoplasm

cross-sectional studies

prevalence

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