Abstract
BackgroundSouth Korea has maintained a dual healthcare delivery system that incorporates both traditional Korean and Western medicine. In this research, we identified the determinants of the frequency of using traditional Korean medicine among musculoskeletal patients, who are known to be the most frequent users of complementary and alternative medicine.MethodsIn this research, we reviewed 2 consecutive years of nationally representative survey data from the 2008 and 2009 Korea Health Panel Survey. We analyzed the utilization of outpatient services by musculoskeletal patients within 12 months of the 2009 survey date. A two-part model was used because some patients did not use traditional Korean medicine and skewness was present in the data on traditional Korean medicine use. In the first part, logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the use of traditional Korean medicine. In the second part, multiple regression analysis was performed to analyze the frequency of traditional Korean medicine usage among the subjects who visited traditional Korean medical institutions.ResultsThe frequency of traditional Korean medicine usage was positively associated with ages of 40–49 years and over 60, restrictions on daily life, a greater number of chronic diseases, not being hospitalized, and more frequent visits (more than five times) to conventional hospitals or clinics for musculoskeletal disorders.ConclusionsThe important determinants of the frequency of traditional Korean medicine usage were age, activity restrictions, the number of chronic diseases, hospitalization history, and the number of visits to conventional hospitals for musculoskeletal disorders. The results contribute to our understanding of the characteristics of traditional Korean medicine users and may be used as a basic resource for related policymaking by government officials and medical professionals.
Highlights
Interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been increasing worldwide
Congress later elevated the status of the OAM by establishing the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in 1998 to facilitate the study and evaluation of CAM practices and to disseminate the resulting information to the public [1]
We integrated the 2008 (1st and 2nd rounds) and 2009 Korea Health Panel Survey (KHPS) data on the use of outpatient services and we analyzed the data of the selected samples who had participated in every survey in 2008 and 2009.This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Catholic University of Korea with a waiver for informed consent
Summary
Interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been increasing worldwide. In the United States, Congress passed legislation that established the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) within the National Institutes of Health in 1992. Congress later elevated the status of the OAM by establishing the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in 1998 to facilitate the study and evaluation of CAM practices and to disseminate the resulting information to the public [1]. According to a CAM utilization survey in 2004 among cancer patients in 14 European countries, more than 40% of the patients in the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Belgium had used CAM [6]. We identified the determinants of the frequency of using traditional Korean medicine among musculoskeletal patients, who are known to be the most frequent users of complementary and alternative medicine
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
