What is CAMEO? 
The goal of the Complementary Medicine Education and Outcomes (CAMEO) Program is to evaluate the impact of evidence-based education and decision support related to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for people living with cancer as well as cancer health professionals. The CAMEO Program is a combined research initiative of the BC Cancer Agency and the University of British Columbia School of Nursing. The program is situated at the Vancouver Centre of the BC Cancer Agency, and officially opened in the summer of 2008.
Recent studies suggest the majority of people living with cancer in Canada use at least one form of CAM during their illness. Studies also show that patients need more information and support from health professionals to make decisions about their use of CAM, particularly when using CAM alongside their conventional cancer treatments (i.e., surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation).
The program will provide opportunities for both patients and health professionals to participate in research evaluating CAM education and decision support strategies. The CAMEO Program will address gaps related to decision support in the context of conventional cancer care.
The CAMEO program is planning a number of on-line resources for cancer patients and health care providers with CAM questions and need of current and credible CAM information. Currently the CAMEO project is limited in scope and can only provide individualized assistance to Vancouver Centre cancer patients and their support persons. We will soon have training programs to help health care providers locally support their patients.
CAMEO Program Objectives
The objectives of this research program are to:
- Examine how best to support people living with cancer in making evidence-informed CAM decisions.
- Evaluate how to improve health professionals’ knowledge and decision support skills related to CAM.
- Facilitate the development of new CAM and cancer research knowledge.
To achieve these goals, a variety of research projects will be launched over the next three years to evaluate and develop a range of education and decision support services to assist people with cancer in making safe and informed decisions about CAM.
Please find the attached brochure describing the CAMEO Program: 
CAMEObrochure.pdf
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Please visit our website again soon, as we will be adding patient and health professional resources.
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Acknowledgements
Funding for the CAMEO Program provided by the Lotte and John Hecht Memorial Foundation.
Last Updated: June 23, 2009