The Choice of Hospitals and the Awareness of Japanese Oriental Medicine in Patients Consulted in Japanese Oriental Medicine Clinics / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

The characteristics of hospital selection and awareness concerning Japanese Oriental medicine were studied in patients receiving treatment at Japanese Oriental medicine clinics at the Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University and at the Toyama Prefecture Hospital. Selection of a hospital was found to be affected primarily by mass media, such as TV and newspapers in the case of the University Hospital and by interpersonal communications for the Prefecture Hospital. The motivations ascertained were an expectation for disease improvement using Japanese Oriental medicine and anxiety about the side effects of modern medicine. The patients showed a poor undestanding of the role of modern medicine in treatments using Japanese Oriental medicine. These data suggest that it is important to disseminate correct information about Japanese Oriental medicine to the public.