Ancillary Use of Complementary Therapies by ESRD Patients Receiving Hemodialysis in Taiwan

Abstract

The present medical system in Taiwan is considered to be strongly Western-oriented. However, the continuing use of traditional Chinese treatment exists alongside Western treatment. This study focuses on end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and their use of complementary therapies (traditional Chinese treatment or folk remedies) while under continuing conventional medical care (hemodialysis). The aim of the study was to discover how patients explained the causes of their disease and which complementary therapies were employed by them. This exploratory, correlational study utilizes a cross-sectional descriptive design to determine the influencing factors involved in the explanation of the cause of disease and the use of complementary treatment by patients with ESRD undergoing HD in Taiwan. One hundred and sixty patients were interviewed. Ninety- nine of them (61.9%) had previously used one or more forms of complementary therapy before they received HD treatment; nineteen patients (11.9%) reported using one or more forms of complementary therapy after the commencement of their HD treatment. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess differences between the groups. The only important predictor of the patients’ perspective of the cause of ESRD is physical performance. Patients with lower physical function tend to attribute their disease to supernatural causes. The two most important predictors for patients’ complementary therapy use before HD treatment are age and gender, indicating that female and middle-aged patients (45-64) tended to be the higher users. Further research is needed to understand complementary therapies and their integration into conventional medicine in order to ensure patients’ safety and health.