Primary care physicians(PCPs) and oriental medical doctors(OMDs), as primary healthcare providers, may directly or indirectly influence patients' use of complementary and alternative medicine(CAM). This study was carried out to compare the practice experience with, the knowledge about, and the attitudes toward CAM between PCPs and OMDs in Korea. A total of 502 PCPs and 500 OMDs in urban area of Korea were selected by the proportionate quota and systematic sampling method. Face-to-face interviews were done with structured questionnaire. The rate of practice experience with and referral rate of CAM were reported 13.7% and 38.6% in PCPs, 76.8% and 85.4% in OMDs respectively. OMDs evaluated the efficacy of each modality of CAM higher than PCPs. Both doctors had wide variations in knowledge of how to practice CAM. However more than half OMDs knew how to practice chiropractic, taping therapy, aromatherapy, and iridology; whereas about 30% of PCPs knew how to do high colic/enema and chiropractic. OMDs too had negative attitudes in lesser degree toward CAM and the advertisement of the other professional medicine. OMDs more readily espoused the idea of the natural healing process, health-disease continuum, and psychological effects on health, and opposed Cartesian view on human body and mind dualism than PCPs. This study showed OMDs had more experience with, knowledge about, positive attitudes toward CAM, and health concepts corresponding to CAM than PCPs. CAM is expected to be practiced further in chiropractic, taping therapy, aromatherapy, and iridology among OMDs; high colic/enema and chiropractic among PCPs.
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe difference in the practice experience with, the knowledge about, and the attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine between primary care physicians and oriental medical doctors
Keywords: Alternative Medicine/Therapies, Primary Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.