A Framework for Systematizing Personalized Thai Herbal Medicine: A Case Study Covering Gynecological Conditions

Charinee Prompukdee,Chayanin Pratoomsoot,Jaratsri Rungrattanaubol

doi:10.3844/jcssp.2017.175.183

Abstract

Thai Traditional Medicine (TTM) is an integral part of Thai traditional culture, with a history which spans many centuries. As part of this tradition, a significant number of historical pharmacopoeias and herbal textbooks have been preserved but much of the content of these texts is hard to access and interpret and so this paper proposes a framework for applying knowledge management processes to TTM. The outcome of this is the design and development of a system for making personalized prescriptions of Thai herbal medicines. By extracting and capturing knowledge from the TTM text 'Pra Kampee Maha-Chotarat' (an ancient text on the subject of gynecological conditions) and through consulting with TTM experts, a system was developed to support TTM consultants when making individual prescriptions for traditional medicines. The association rule mining technique was used to obtain recommended herbal compositions and the system was evaluated by experts, who gave feedback on the design, content and usage of the system. The proposed framework and system has the potential to be extended to cover the treatment of other diseases by drawing data from other TTM texts.

Highlights

Traditional Medicine (TM), a broad phrase for medical knowledge, skills and practices which are based on local cultural beliefs and materials, has been used for many centuries for the maintenance of good health and the treatment of both physical and mental illnesses
As the goal of this paper is to develop a system for prescribing personalized Thai herbal medicines, there is a need to obtain key herbal compositions used for the treatment of diseases
The experts expressed a positive opinion of the system and believed that it could be useful in supporting Traditional Medicine (TTM) consultants in formulating personalized Thai herbal medicines

Summary

Introduction

Traditional Medicine (TM), a broad phrase for medical knowledge, skills and practices which are based on local cultural beliefs and materials, has been used for many centuries for the maintenance of good health and the treatment of both physical and mental illnesses. TM is used as part of the primary health care system and this is especially true in developing countries, where local materials and herbs are cheap and easy to access and where their use is in accordance with local beliefs, cultures and traditions (WHO, 2001). Thailand is one of many countries with a long history of developing and using traditional medical systems and in the Thai case, these have included traditional herbal formulations, therapeutic massage and herbal steam baths and compresses. TM is based on local materials, beliefs, cultures and traditions and because of this, different countries or regions have developed different forms of practice. TM has typically developed in families or local communities and been transferred through either written materials or apprenticeship (WHO, 2014)

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