The Integrative Oncology Communication Lab: Scripts, Skills, and Strategies You Can Use Monday Morning
Description/Overview:
Patients affected by cancer frequently seek Integrative Oncology (IO) guidance during moments of intense uncertainty, emotional distress, and existential reflection. These conversations often involve complex and high-stake topics, including refusal of standard oncology treatments, cross-cultural belief about healing, extensive supplement use, potential supplement-drug interactions, and interest in experimental or non-evidence-based therapies. Effective communication is crucial for establishing and maintaining trust with these patients and families as they navigate their cancer journey and pursue integrative therapies. It also opens the door for shared decision making and facilitates patient empowerment through meaningful conversations and allows to truly position the patient at the center of their care. Communication process about IO interventions requires a skilled approach that is based on the ability to reframe the current situation, express empathy, effectively elicit a patient’s goals, and propose a realistic plan that aligns with those goals. This highly interactive 2-hour workshop brought forth through the SIO education committee, is designed as a practical communication “lab” where participants will learn and practice structured approaches for navigating challenging integrative oncology conversations with clarity, empathy, and confidence. We will utilize evidence-based facilitation techniques such as REMAP (reframe, empathy, map goals and values, align and propose meaningful plan) to introduce and practice essential communication skills to enhance the quality of IO consultations, the patient experience of been heard and understood, and clinician wellbeing and sense of efficacy. At the end of the session, attendees will leave with concrete language, practical tools, and increased confidence to enhance the quality of integrative oncology consultations, improve patient experience and trust, and support clinician wellbeing and professional satisfaction.
Learning Objectives:
- Apply a structured communication framework to navigate challenging integrative oncology conversations, including treatment refusal, supplement safety, and requests for experimental therapies.
- Demonstrate empathy-based communication skills to elicit patient values, cultural perspectives, and goals in order to support shared decision-making and trust.
- Develop practical language and scripts to address misinformation, discuss risks and benefits of integrative therapies, and co-create safe, goal-concordant integrative care plans.
Target Audience:
Physicians, Advanced practice providers, nurses, pharmacists, trainees
Facilitators:
Anna Roshal, MD
Dr. Roshal is a Medical Director of Supportive and Integrative Oncology at Banner Health University Medical Center- Tucson and Associate Director, Integrative Oncology at Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Medical Oncology at University of Arizona. She is a practicing medical oncologist, clinical scholar and educator. She developed interest and expertise in teaching vital skills for serious illness conversation after working as Oncology hospitalist and obtaining board certification in Hospice and Palliative Care. She has been leading patient communication workshops for learners of all levels and for multidisciplinary teams at Washington University in St. Louis, Indiana University and University of Arizona.
Moshe Frenkel, MD
Dr. Moshe Frenkel is a clinical associate professor at the University of Texas and founder of the Integrative Medicine Clinic at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Board-certified in Family Medicine, he earned his medical degree from Tel Aviv University and completed his residency in New York. He has held key roles at MD Anderson, the University of Texas Medical Branch, and leading medical institutions in Israel.
Since 2019, he has directed the Integrative Oncology Service at RAMBAM Medical Center. Dr. Frenkel has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers, contributed to major oncology textbooks, and led research on integrating complementary medicine into cancer care. A sought-after international speaker and educator, he received the 2024 SIO Fellow Award for his contributions to integrative oncology. He remains actively involved in research and clinical practice, advancing patient-centered integrative care worldwide.
Krisstina Gowin, DO
Krisstina Gowin, D.O., leads education at City of Hope’s Cherng Family Center for Integrative Oncology, one of the first cancer center-based integrative medicine programs. A hematologist/oncologist, Dr. Gowin is also an expert in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), a rare blood cancer. She has authored numerous studies and Living Well with Myeloproliferative Neoplasm, a guide addressing an integrative and wellness-based approach to patient care. Dr. Gowin completed her Hematology Oncology fellowship at the Mayo Clinic Arizona and her Integrative fellowship at Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, where she later directed the fellowship program. Recognized for her commitment to whole-person healing, she has received awards such as the Humanism in Medicine Award.
Alissa Huston, MD
Dr. Huston is Board Member of SIO. She Co-Chair of the Clinical Practice Committee, guiding best practices and clinical care implementation in integrative oncology Most recently she co -lead a highly successful workshop at 21st Annual SIO Conference on “Establishing an Integrative Oncology Service: Barriers and Opportunities” . She contributed to integrative oncology clinical guidelines alongside SIO-ASCO collaborations, including care for anxiety and depression in adults with cancer. She is a Professor of Medicine at the Wilmot Cancer Institute at the University of Rochester, where her clinical efforts are focused on breast cancer. She is also the Co-Medical Director of the Pluta Integrative Oncology & Wellness Center. Her research efforts focus on understanding the effects of treatment for breast cancer upon bone health and how integrative modalities can help mitigate symptoms for cancer patients as they undergo treatment.