J Korean Acad Adult Nurs.  1998 Apr;10(1):134-147.

A Survey of utilization of alternative therapies in chronic liver disease

• Son HM
• Suh MJ

Abstract

Chronic liver disease was characterized difficult to cure, long-standing disease. Patients with chronic liver disease were searching for complementary treatments to recover form illness, while they have been treated by the doctor. This study was carried out to explore application of alternative therapies in patients with chronic liver disease. For this survey, the questionnaire were developed by researchers and the data were collected for two months. Among the 192 subjects, 155 were hospitalized and 37 were out patient department and the majority of diagnoses were chronic hepatitis (42.2%), liver cirrhosis (31.3%), primary liver carcinoma (14.6%). The results were as follows. 1. Patients who have had experiences with alternative therapies were 128, not undergone were 64. Varried alternative therapies were used and 46.9% of 128 subjects used both hospitals and alternative therapies simultaneously. 2. Patients have looked for alternative therapies in the early stage of disease (71.1%), and motivated to decide a matter of having use complementary therapies as alternatives for treatments (64.8%), and obtained information from their families and friends (48.2%), mass media (14.8%). The majority of patients were acknowledged that laternative treatments have no effectiveness really but it gives them psychological comfort. And the patients have payed a lot of money in cost of alternative therapies fee ; 1.4 times higher than hospitals. 3. Among the 128 subjects, 43.8% patients were communicated with their physicians about complementary therapies, 56.2% were not. 82.1% patients who asked their physicians were experienced negative responses of their doctors. 4. patients were expected the higher effect of alternative therapies when they have been delivered treatment by hospitals with complementary therapies (chi2=57.84, P<0.05), and then they evaluated the treatment effect better in this treatment pattern (chi2=25.26, P<0.05). And in terms of general characteristics of the patients, the only duration of illness was showed the significant relationship with the utilization of alternative therapies (chi2=8.44, P<0.05). 5. In no used alternative therapies group, the reason that they have not taken alternative therapies were ; to keep their physician's prescription, to refuse alternative therapies by their physicians, and to have no trust themselves on alternative therapies. In conclusion, the further study will be required the patients' experience using alternative therapies as the progress of disease in terms of holistic view of patients.

MeSH Terms

Complementary Therapies*
Diagnosis
Fees and Charges
Friends
Hepatitis, Chronic
Humans
Liver Cirrhosis
Liver Diseases*
Liver*
Mass Media
Prescriptions
Surveys and Questionnaires