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

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.