J Korean Acad Fam Med.  1999 Sep;20(9):1106-1117.

Comparision of doctors' experience with and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine between western medicine and korean traditional medicine in office-based settings

Affiliations
  • 1Department od Preventive Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine Consulting Unit for Biostatistics and Reseach Planning, Asan Medical Center , Korea.
  • 2Department of Health Policy and Management, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUD: Primary care physicians (PCPs) and ariental medical dactors (OMDs), as primary healthcare providers, could directly affect patients use of complementary and alternative medidne(CAM). This study was carried out to compare the practice experience with, the knowledge about, and the attitudes taward CAM between PCPs and OMDs in Korea.
METHODS
A total of 502 PCPs and 500 OMDs in urban area of Karea were selected by the proportionate quota and systematic sampling methood. Face-to-face interviews were done with structured questionnaire.
RESULTS
The rate af practice experience with and referral rate af CAM were reported 13.7% and 38.6% in PCPs, 76.8% and 85.4%. in OMDs respectively. OMDs evaluated the efficacy of each CAM higher than PCPs. Both doctors had wide variatians of knowledge in how to practice each CAM. However more than half OMDs knew how to practice chiropracic, taping therapy, aromatherapy, and iridology respectively, about 30% of PCPs high colic/enema and chiropractic. PCPs had mcire negative attitudes toward CAM and the advertisement of the other professional medidne (korean traditional medicine) than OMDs. OMDs more strongly supported the natural healing process, health-disease continuum, and psychological effect on health, and opposed Descares view on human body than PCPs.
CONCLUSIONS
This study showed OMDs had more experience with, knowledge about, positive attitudes toward and supportive health concepts to CAM than PCPs. CAM practice would be diffused with chiropractic, taping therapy, aromatherapy, and iridolagy in OMDs; high colic/enema and chiropractic in PCPs.

Keyword

alternative medicine; attitude; oriental traditional medicine; primary physician

MeSH Terms

Aromatherapy
Chiropractic
Complementary Therapies*
Human Body
Humans
Korea
Medicine, East Asian Traditional
Medicine, Korean Traditional*
Physicians, Primary Care
Primary Health Care
Referral and Consultation
Surveys and Questionnaires
Full Text Links
  • KJFM
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr