Current situation and future issues with Kampo medicine: A survey of Japanese physicians

Abstract

AbstractAimWe aimed to elucidate the present clinical situation, future challenges, and potential need for diagnostic support software in Kampo medicine.MethodsWe conducted an online survey (comprising 28 questions) of Japanese physicians from the 23 to 24 January 2024 via MedPeer. The participants' responses were stratified according to their age distribution.ResultsWe evaluated data for 652 respondents. The most common respondent age groups were those in their 30s and 40s. The most common specialty of respondents was internal medicine (43.7%). Only 33.7% of respondents had received education on Kampo medicine at university. Most respondents (90.0%) were not licensed as certified physicians or members of the Japan Society for Oriental Medicine. Most respondents (86.7%) currently prescribed Kampo formulas (current users); only 3.8% had no experience in prescribing Kampo formulas. The conditions for which Kampo formulas were frequently prescribed were muscle cramps, constipation, medically unexplained symptoms/menopausal syndrome, appetite loss/malnutrition, and fatigue. However, 48.3% of current users did not use traditional Kampo patterns (sho). The most frequent issues reported by respondents were the lack of scientific evidence and standardization of diagnostic methods in Kampo medicine. Respondents indicated the need for postgraduate education and implementation of diagnostic support software for using Kampo patterns by non‐specialists in Kampo medicine.ConclusionThere was a discrepancy between the high frequency of Kampo formula prescriptions and the low use of traditional Kampo patterns in Japan. Diagnostic support software is likely to become a useful method of improving appropriate Kampo formula prescriptions by non‐specialists.