International Expert Panel Consensus Guidelines for Structure and Delivery of Qigong Exercise for Cancer Care Programming

Abstract

Integrative oncology, including Qigong, is a relatively new concept in modern healthcare. Evidence of benefits of Qigong in cancer survivors is emerging. As such, several cancer centers, world-wide, have introduced Qigong as part of integrative medicine within supportive cancer care programming. Qigong exercise programming content and quality varies among institutions due to lack of standard guidelines and, at present, relies solely on the instructor’s skills, knowledge, personal preferences and clinical experience. Development of consensus guidelines recommending the basic structure and delivery of Qigong programming in cancer care can potentiate quality assurance and reduce risk of harm. This applied qualitative research utilized a modified Delphi approach to formulate consensus guidelines. Guidelines were developed through discussions among an international expert panel (N = 13) with representation from Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United States. Panel communication was predominantly conducted by email and occurred from November 2016 through February 2017. Expert panel work resulted in the generation of a work product: Qigong in Cancer Care Guidelines: A Working Paper including: (a) Consensus Guidelines for structure and delivery of Qigong exercise for Cancer care programming; (b) Consensus guidelines for instructor competence for teaching Qigong exercise for cancer care classes; (c) Screening tool for safe participation in Qigong exercise; (d) Class participant instructions for maintaining safety during Qigong exercise; and (e) Advice from the field. Generation of these resources is the first step in establishing recommendations for ‘best practice’ in the area of Qigong for cancer care programming.

Accreditation Standard Guideline Initiative for Tai Chi and Qigong Instructors and Training Institutions

“…However, it did not acknowledge the significance of medical knowledge for TQ instructors or the development of basic biomedical education for TQ instructors although it discussed the implication of TQ in the US health care system. The latest Qigong consensus guideline published in 2017, “Qigong for cancer care programming”, identified and addressed the magnitude of required knowledge of cancer medicine in addition to Qigong theory in Traditional Chinese medicine [ 46 ]. Neither consensus report addressed the value of TQ instructors’ medical knowledge to deliver TQ in a safe manner and prevent injuries.…”

Caring for Each Other: Family Caregiving Across the Generations

“…All are designed to improve balance, relaxation, breathing, posture, and general well-being. Some Qigong routines are designed to ameliorate specific medical conditions (e.g., breast cancer, Lu with Schaplowsky, 1999; other cancers, Klein et al, 2017;and back complaints, Baumgarden et al, 2018) in addition to the general health benefits of the practice of Qigong. Sifu George Picard (Founder and Chief Instructor of the Glenridge Martial Arts Academy in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada) has pointed out that 1 in 2 persons now contract cancer at some point in their life, compared with 1 in 33 in 1908 (Picard, 2009(Picard, , 2010.…”