Healthcare professionals' perceptions of hypnotherapy in cancer care: Development and validation of a survey.

Hypnotherapy has shown promise in cancer care for alleviating pain, managing nausea, reducing anxiety and fatigue, and improving overall quality of life. Despite its potential benefits, there remains a significant gap between evidence and clinical practice. One way to bridge this gap is to assess healthcare professionals' perceptions and address them accordingly. While survey tools assessing perceptions in healthcare exist, they often are outdated, lack contemporary focus and specificity to complementary therapies like hypnotherapy, particularly in the context of cancer care. This study aimed to develop, psychometrically evaluate, and pilot a survey designed to assess Australian healthcare professionals' (psychologists, counselors, medical practitioners, and nurses) perceptions of hypnotherapy in cancer care. A cross-sectional survey was developed to assess healthcare professionals' perceptions of hypnosis/hypnotherapy in cancer care. The survey, informed by a comprehensive literature review, consisted of three sections: (1) demographics, 2) interest, experience and knowledge of hypnosis, and (3) attitudes towards its integration in cancer care. Instrument validation involved an expert panel (n = 5) review for content validity and a pilot study with 89 healthcare professionals for reliability. Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach's alpha and factor analysis. Psychometric analysis demonstrated high internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.850. Factor analysis revealed two distinct factors: perceived benefits of hypnotherapy in cancer care (explaining 49.23 % of variance) and concerns/misconceptions about hypnosis (explaining 19.50 % of variance). These factors showed strong item loadings (0.692–0.889 and 0.529-0.850, respectively) and a moderate correlation (r = 0.464). The survey tool proved feasible and applicable with a high completion rate among participants. The survey pilot results highlighted significant knowledge gaps and varying levels of acceptance of hypnotherapy, underscoring the necessity for targeted education and training initiatives. Despite these gaps, there was a notable interest in learning more about hypnotherapy's potential benefits in cancer care. However, limitations to sample diversity and generalizability should be noted, as the vast majority of respondents were female nurses. A novel survey tool to evaluate healthcare professionals' perceptions of hypnotherapy in cancer care was developed and tested for its validity and reliability. Results of this study revealed significant knowledge gaps and varied acceptance levels by healthcare professionals to using hypnotherapy in cancer care. We identified respondents have a strong interest in hypnotherapy's potential benefits, highlighting the need for targeted education and suggesting a promising foundation for its future integration into holistic and patient-centered cancer care. • Development of a Novel Survey : A new survey tool was created to assess Australian healthcare professionals' perceptions of hypnotherapy specifically in the context of cancer care, focusing on their knowledge, experience, and attitudes. • Psychometric Validation : The survey demonstrated high internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.850, and identified two key factors: perceived benefits of hypnotherapy and concerns/misconceptions about its use in cancer care. • Pilot Study Results : The pilot study involving 89 healthcare professionals revealed significant knowledge gaps and varying levels of acceptance toward hypnotherapy, underscoring the need for targeted education and training. • Interest in Hypnotherapy : Despite knowledge gaps, there was notable interest among healthcare professionals in learning more about hypnotherapy's potential benefits, particularly for cancer care. • Limitations and Future Directions : The study's generalizability was limited by a sample predominantly composed of female nurses, but it provides a promising foundation for further research and the potential integration of hypnotherapy into holistic cancer care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]