Perception Difference between Korean Medicine Doctors, Western Medicine Doctors, and Patients on the Collaborative and Integrated Medicine for the Functional Dyspepsia

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the perception difference between Korean Medicine doctors, Western Medicine doctors, and functional dyspepsia (FD) patients on the ‘Collaborative and Integrated Medicine (CIM)’ for FD management.Methods: Between February and April 2021, 545 Korean Medicine doctors, 121 Western Medicine doctors, and 186 FD patients were invited to participate in this survey. A questionnaire was developed by both the Korean and Western Medicine doctors and consisted of questions about general perceptions of FD and perceptions of CIM for FD.Results: Responses from 424 Korean Medicine doctors, 113 Western Medicine doctors, and 153 FD patients were analyzed for the CIM of FD. Significant perceptional differences were noted between Korean Medicine doctors, Western Medicine doctors, and FD patients on the CIM for FD, including necessity, effectiveness, safety, cost, and reliability of CIM for the management of FD (p<0.001). The FD patients also more strongly supported the necessity of developing CIM for FD than did the Korean and Western Medicine doctors (p<0.001), and 87.6% of the FD patients strongly agreed or agreed with the use of CIM for FD.Conclusions: A significant perception difference was detected between Korean Medicine doctors, Western Medicine doctors, and FD patients regarding the use of CIM for FD. Patients with FD favored the necessity and were more willing to accept CIM for FD than were the doctors. Therefore, more efforts may be warranted for doctors to promote CIM for FD.