Medical Practices and Attitudes of Dual-Licensed Medical Doctors in Korea

Jiseon Ryu,Byungmook Lim,Sina Kim,Youngju Yun,Byunghee Choi

doi:10.1155/2013/183643

Abstract

Unique dual medical system in Korea has resulted in the emergence of dual-licensed medical doctors (DLMDs) who have both traditional Korean medicine (KM) and Western medicine (WM) licenses. There have been few studies on DLMDs in spite of their growing number and importance within the medical system. We surveyed the current status and attitudes of DLMD to assess their role in integrative medicine. Questionnaires were administered to the members of the association of DLMD. Data from 103 DLMD were collected and statistically analyzed. 41.4% of DLMD were copracticing both WM and KM at a single clinic, preferring the WM approach for physical examinations, laboratory tests, and education for patients—and the KM approach for treatment and prescription. Musculoskeletal, gastroenterologic, and allergic diseases were considered to be effectively treated with co-practice. DLMD highly agreed on the efficiency of copractice for disease control and patients' satisfaction. On the other hand, they regarded the lack of health insurance coverage for copractice and increased medical expenditure as major problems in providing co-practice. To expand the role of DLMD as mediators of integration in primary health care, the effectiveness of their co-practice should be evaluated and a corresponding health insurance reimbursement system should be established.

Highlights

Though the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine declared that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is not to be considered an integral part of conventional western medicine at present [1], since the introduction of CAM, the terms and concepts of CAM have gradually been integrated into mainstream medicine in many Western countries; likewise disease-centered biomedicine has shifted to holistic patient-centered medicine [2,3,4,5]
Korean medicine (KM)-based duallicensed medical doctors (DLMDs) refers to who obtained KM doctor licenses first, while Western medicine (WM)-based DLMD are those who first obtained WM doctor licenses
As for DLMD duration, the most frequently occurring response among the WM-based group was less than 5 years (48.3%), whereas KM-based DLMD were most likely students preparing for dual medical licensure (DML) (45.2%). 41.4% of respondents have opened clinics where they practiced both WM and KM at a single site

Summary

Introduction

Though the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine declared that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is not to be considered an integral part of conventional western medicine ( abbreviated “WM”) at present [1], since the introduction of CAM, the terms and concepts of CAM have gradually been integrated into mainstream medicine in many Western countries; likewise disease-centered biomedicine has shifted to holistic patient-centered medicine [2,3,4,5]. Some Asian countries, where traditional medicine exists as a whole medical system, such as Ayurveda or traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), possess their own dedicated and independent medical system due to idiosyncratic historical factors [11]. Traditional Korean medicine (referred to in this paper as “KM”) is not regarded as CAM, but as a part of conventional medicine, mainly due to having its own education and licensing system since the 1950s. Though this kind of system has been advantageous in preserving traditional medicine, it has given rise to institutionalized conflict between the two medical disciplines [16]. In spite of the conflict, KM doctors have tried to combine KM and WM since the inception of KM hospitals in the 1970s; and duallicensed medical doctors (DLMDs) who had both KM and WM licenses began to emerge and their ranks have grown

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