What is CAMEO?
CAMEO stands for Complementary Medicine (CAM) Education and Outcomes Research Program.
CAMEO is a research program that transforms the latest CAM research (technically, a knowledge translation research program) into user-friendly information that can be shared with patients and health professionals. Its resources and programs can all be accessed through this website.
CAMEO studies the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) needs of people living with cancer, their support persons, and health care providers. It then develops education courses and lectures, published documents, and individualized institutional or organizational programs to help address those needs. CAMEO’s research includes evaluating the use and usefulness of those developed resources and education programs.
Why CAMEO?
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).
There is a gap regarding CAM information and decision support in the context of conventional cancer care.
Our History & Funding
CAMEO opened its doors in 2008 at the Vancouver Centre of the British Columbia Cancer Agency as a joint project of the University of British Columbia (UBC) School of Nursing and the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA). CAMEO is now a national on-line project under the direction of Dr Balneaves (Principal Investigator) & Ms Truant (C0-Investigator). As part of the research team, the Research Nurse Coordinators Ms. Ross and Ms. Wong, and Project Director Dr. Porcino—as well as many enthusiastic research assistants and associates—participated in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the many CAMEO projects, some of which have been re-worked for presentation on this website. Dr. Verhoef , C0-Investigator, participated as a trusted CAM research adviser.
CAMEO thanks the Lotte & John Hecht Memorial Foundation as the primary funder of the CAMEO Program. CAMEO also acknowledges the estate of Katherine Heller for the support of CAMEO’s education programs.
CAMEO could not have succeeded in its work without its group of dedicated professionals from the many departments of the Vancouver Centre, BCCA and our Patient Representative, who together formed the CAMEO Steering Group, active from 2008 to 2013.
- Rosie Cashman (Nurse Practitioner)
- Mario De Lemos (Pharmacy)
- Graeme Duncan (Oncology)
- Robin Fried (Patient Representative)
- Howard Lim (Oncology)
- Sally Man (Pharmacy)
- Kathy Rayment (Librarian)
- Sarah Sample (Patient & Family Counselling)
- Joanne Stephens (Patient & Family Counselling)
- Cheri van Patten (Dietitian)