The Analysis of the Korean Nursing Research Trends on Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Cancer Patients / 종양간호학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze nursing research trends on the complementary and alternative therapies (CAT) for the cancer patients in Korea. METHOD: Thirty eight articles published in 17 nursing-related journal from 1987 to 2008 were analyzed. RESULTS: Nursing Researches on CAT for the cancer patients have increased since 2000. Among the 38 studies, 34 studies used Quasi-experimental design and 13 studies (33%) were conducted for the breast cancer patients. Mind-body therapy (53%), manual healing therapy (42%), and pharmacologic and biological therapy (5%) were the often used CAT types. Nausea, vomiting, vital signs, immune cell, pain, and fatigue were measured as physiologic outcome variables; anxiety, depression, and hope as psychological outcome variables; and quality of life as social outcome variables. CONCLUSION: More CAM studies are needed targeting the patients with various cancer types and home-based cancer patients.