Enhancing patient activation: a controlled implementation study of an interprofessional evidence-based counseling program for complementary and integrative healthcare in cancer patients ('CCC-Integrativ').

Complementary and integrative healthcare (CIH) is increasingly recognized as a valuable approach to empowering and activating cancer patients. Studies have shown that higher patient activation is positively associated with improved health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. The CCC-Integrativ study aimed to assess the implementation of an evidence-based counseling service on CIH at four Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCC) in Germany.

Exploring the association between phytopharmaceutical use and antibiotic prescriptions in upper respiratory infections: results from a German cohort study evaluating the impact of naturopathy qualifications of general practitioners using routine data.

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a significant global health threat, exacerbated by inappropriate prescribing practices, particularly for upper respiratory infections that are predominantly viral. Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM), including the use of phytopharmaceuticals, offers a potential strategy to reduce antibiotic prescriptions.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the impact of General Practitioners' (GPs) naturopathy (NP) qualifications and phytopharmaceutical prescriptions on the rate of antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory infections (RTI).

Integrative nursing interventions: knowledge, attitudes and practice in home nursing services in Germany-a quantitative and qualitative online survey.

Introduction: Integrative nursing interventions (INI) play a significant role in healthcare, particularly in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Integrating evidence-based INI into healthcare aligns with global initiatives such as the WHO's Decade of Healthy Aging 2020-2030. Many INI are low-threshold practices, empowering patients to independently manage health.

A randomized controlled trial of acupuncture and receptive music therapy for sleep disorders in the elderly-ELAMUS: study protocol.

Background: Globally, the demographic shift towards an aging population leads to significant challenges in healthcare systems, specifically due to an increasing incidence of multimorbidity resulting in polypharmacy among the elderly. Simultaneously, sleep disorders are a common complaint for elderly people. A treatment with pharmacological therapies often leads to side effects causing a high potential for dependency.

Exploring the gap: attitudes, knowledge, and training needs in complementary and integrative medicine among healthcare professionals at German university hospitals.

Introduction: The use of Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM) is very popular among the general population in Germany. However, international studies show that nurses, physicians, and other health care professionals (HCPs) at hospitals often do not feel sufficiently informed about different CIM approaches. Moreover, they do not feel trained enough to counsel their patients appropriately.

The Patient Activation Measure-13 (PAM-13) in an oncology patient population: psychometric properties and dimensionality evaluation.

Background: Accurate assessment and enhancement of health-related skills among oncology patients are pivotal for optimizing cancer care. The Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13), a questionnaire designed to reflect an individual's knowledge, skills, and confidence in self-healthcare management, has been validated across diverse countries and settings. Concerns have been raised regarding the cross-situational applicability, as patients with specific diseases and cultural backgrounds interpret questionnaire items differently.

Can acupuncture increase microcirculation in peripheral artery disease and diabetic foot syndrome? - a pilot study.

Background: Globally, diabetes mellitus (DM) and peripheral artery disease (PAD) have an increasing incidence and a high prevalence and are both associated with high morbidity and complication rates, e.g., as chronic non-healing peripheral ulcers.

Trace Level Analysis of Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances in Fish from Various Regions in Switzerland.

Per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFASs) are persistent man-made chemicals which can end up in the food chain. In this study, the concentrations of 15 PFASs in various wild fish species from different regions in Switzerland were determined excluding hot spots of contamination. After clean-up with SPE, the samples were analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS.

Patients' Experiences With Therapeutic Approaches for Post-COVID Syndrome: Results of a Crowdsourced Research Survey.

Some patients develop multiple protracted sequelae after infection with SARS-CoV-2, collectively known as post-COVID syndrome or long COVID. To date, there is no evidence showing benefit of specific therapies for this condition, and patients likely resort to self-initiated therapies. We aimed to obtain information about therapies used by and needs of this population via inductive crowdsourcing research.

Evaluation of an intervention in general practices to strengthen social activities in older patients - A qualitative study of patients' experiences in the project HoPES3.

Objective: In the research project HoPES3, the effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention, where one of the aims was to encourage social activities among older patients, was investigated in a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Patients were offered a conversation about their spirituality (spiritual history) which also included questions about their social relationships. The aim of this study was to examine patients' experiences regarding the acceptability, feasibility, conversational content and perceived benefits and harms of the interventions focusing on social relationships and activities.

Experiences of German health care professionals with spiritual history taking in primary care: a mixed-methods process evaluation of the HoPES3 intervention.

Background: Spiritual needs gain importance in old age but are often ignored in health care. Within the 'Holistic care program for elderly patients to integrate spiritual needs, social activity and self-care into disease management in primary care (HoPES3)' a complex intervention was evaluated in a cluster-randomized trial. The aim of this study was to explore the acceptability, feasibility, benefits, and harms of a spiritual history taken by general practitioners (GPs) as part of the complex intervention.

Problematic Social Media Use and Its Relationship with Depression or Anxiety: A Systematic Review.

There has been a notable increase in social media and Internet use over recent decades, not only for social interaction or entertainment, but also for working and meeting tools, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. A relationship between this usage and the development of mental illness is frequently hypothesized, but a few studies have empirical findings. This study is a systematic review of the relationship between social media use and depression or anxiety.

General practitioners' communication on complementary and integrative medicine for cancer patients: Findings from an analysis of consultations with standardised patients.

Objective: Our aim was to explore whether general practitioners (GPs) communicate with cancer patients on complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) in a patient-centred and case-specific manner.

Methods: We designed two cases of standardised breast cancer patients and allocated 29 GPs to hold a consultation either with Case 1 or Case 2. Case 1 presented with fears of possible physical side effects of hormone treatment.

Naturopathy, complementary and integrative medicine in medical education - position paper by the GMA Committee Integrative Medicine and Perspective Pluralism.

Background: A large part of the population in Germany makes use of naturopathic, complementary and integrative medical treatments. There are now numerous scientific studies that provide evidence of efficacy for certain indications. At German medical faculties, selected procedures and their application are taught within the cross-sectoral unit called QB 12 and some elective courses, with a focus on specific aspects are offered.

GPs´ Personal Spirituality, Their Attitude and Spiritual Competence: A Cross-Sectional Study in German General Practices.

To understand if GPs' spiritual competence, their personal spirituality and attitude towards enquiring about spirituality in practice interrelate, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 30 German GPs regarding issues of SC. We found correlations between GPs' personal spirituality, their spiritual competence and their attitudes towards SC. The ability to perceive spiritual needs of patients was the competence most strongly related to GPs' attitude towards SC.

Interprofessional evidence-based counselling programme for complementary and integrative healthcare in patients with cancer: study protocol for the controlled implementation study CCC-Integrativ.

Introduction: According to international literature, patients with cancer wish to have information on complementary and integrative healthcare (CIH). Medical guidelines recommend actively approaching patients with cancer discussing potential benefits and risks of individual CIH methods. While some CIH methods, for example, acupuncture and yoga, have been proven effective in high-quality studies, other CIH methods lack studies or bear the risk of interactions with chemotherapeutics, for example, herbal drugs.

Evaluation of a Spiritual History with Elderly Multi-Morbid Patients in General Practice-A Mixed-Methods Study within the Project HoPES3.

Background: The "Holistic Care Program for Elderly Patients to Integrate Spiritual Needs, Social Activity and Self-Care into Disease Management in Primary Care" (HoPES3) examines the implementation of a spiritual history (SH) as part of a multifaceted intervention in German general practices. While the effectiveness of the interventions was evaluated in a cluster-randomized trial, this article investigates the patients' views concerning the acceptability of the SH and its effects.

Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted in which 133 patients of the intervention group filled in a standardized questionnaire after the intervention.

Spirituality, Self-Care, and Social Activity in the Primary Medical Care of Elderly Patients.

Background: Self-efficacy is decisive for the quality of life of elderly, multimorbid persons. It may be possible to strengthenpatients' self-efficacy can be strengthened by the targeted reinforcement of individual spirituality, social activity, and self-care.This hypothesis was tested with the aid of a complex intervention.

Complementary medicine in Germany: a multi-centre cross-sectional survey on the usage by and the needs of patients hospitalized in university medical centers.

Background: The results of recent surveys indicate that more than 50% of the German population has experience with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) or uses CAM regularly. This study investigated the CAM usage and CAM-related needs of hospitalized patients at university medical centres in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Methods: A multi-centre, paper-based, pseudonymous survey was carried out by the members of the Academic Centre for Complementary and Integrative Medicine.

Self-Efficacy, Social Activity, and Spirituality in the Care of Elderly Patients with Polypharmacy in Germany-A Multicentric Cross-Sectional Study within the HoPES3 Trial.

About one third of Europe's elderly population takes ≥5 drugs. Polypharmacy increases their risk of adverse drug reactions. To ensure drug safety, innovative approaches are needed.

Barriers to utilisation of cancer rehabilitation from the expert's view: A cross-sectional survey.

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate barriers to utilisation of cancer rehabilitation by querying a large sample of various professionals in health care with a comprehensive set of barriers.

Methods: We developed a questionnaire comprising 55 barriers to utilisation of cancer rehabilitation and administered it to four different types of medical, care and social work experts involved in the referral to cancer rehabilitation. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted and the extracted factors were ranked by mean values.

Integration of complementary and integrative medicine competencies in general practice postgraduate education - development of a novel competency catalogue in Germany.

Background: Complementary and integrative medical procedures (CIM) play an important role in general practice (GP). Consequently, in some countries (e.g.

Training General Practitioners and Medical Assistants Within the Framework of HoPES3, a Holistic Care Program for Elderly Patients to Integrate Spiritual Needs, Social Activity, and Self-Care into Disease Management in Primary Care.

Background: This study presents a concept for training general practitioners (GPs) in taking a spiritual history. In the same workshop, medical assistants (MAs) were trained in counselling elderly, chronically ill patients on social activities and home remedies. After the training, GPs and MAs will apply the acquired skills in their practices within the scope of the HoPES3 intervention study, which aims at raising patients' self-efficacy.

[Barriers in the Application Process for Oncological Rehabilitation: A Nationwide Expert Study].

Purpose: From the perspective of various expert groups involved in the care of oncological patients, barriers to the application process of oncological rehabilitation programs will be identified. The study was funded by the German Pension Insurance Association (DRV).

Methods: Based on an interview study (N=61), a questionnaire instrument with 55 items describing possible barriers in the application process was designed and implemented online.

How to strengthen basic competencies in self-care - a pre-post interventional study with postgraduate trainees in family medicine in Germany.

: Self-care includes taking care of our psychosocial health. Many experts agree that self-care should be included in training for Family Medicine (FM) residents, though it is unclear to what extent and by what means. The aim of this study was to evaluate competencies of FM residents in self-care and changes in knowledge, skills and attitudes after an educational compact intervention.