제주지역 보완대체의학 인식도 및 발전방안

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Development Plan and Attitudes toward Complementary Alternative Medicine on Jeju Island

Kim, Yoon-sook Advisor : Prof. Suh, Chae Hong M.D., Ph.D. Department of Medicine, Graduate School of Chosun University

To collect data for this study, I conducted a preliminary survey, and with these results, I made an official survey. The purpose of this study is to prove that alternative medicine can be used to prevent and treat different diseases. Alternative medicine can also improve one’s health and minimize trauma. It can have positive effects on many patients when used in conjunction with contemporary medicine. The results showed that 63% of the subjects said that they had heard of alternative medicine, while 37% said they were not familiar with alternative medicine. When asked what kind of alternative therapies they had experience with, 46.3% said that they had received acupressure therapy, 45.9% acupuncture, 45.9% cupping treatment & moxibustion, 29.6% massage therapy, 25.9% yoga, 18.9% meditation, 11.9% taping therapy, 9.6% herbal therapy, 9.3% vision picture therapy, 8.1% fasting, 7.4% aroma therapy, 6.7% gigong healing, 6.7% enzyme therapy, 4.4% podiatric reflex therapy, and 14.8% no experience with alternative therapies. Ninety four percent of these participants said that the treatment was satisfactory. When asked how they became familiar with alternative therapies, 46.7% of the respondents cited family or friends, 12.6% mass media, 5.9% education, and 9.3% other reasons. This shows that nearly half of the respondents have received information through their family or friends. Therefore, the use of alternative medicine should be encouraged by the government authority. When asked why they used alternative therapy, 21.5% cited that for specific diseases, alternative therapies were preferred to pharmaceutical medicine. Forty point three percent believed that alternative therapies can reduce symptoms, 16.5% believed that their body accepted alternative therapy better than pharmaceutical medicines, and 8.3% cited other reasons. Due to the fact that alternative medicine is not scientific and proven, some doctors practice alternative medicine without a license. Even though patients realize this, they still undergo alternative therapies without exposing themselves to the licensed medical professionals. When the subjects were asked if the government should intervene and fund research to develop different methods of alternative therapies as well as suggest these safer methods to the public; 2.2% said they strongly disagree, 2.6% said they disagree, 32.6% said that they were indifferent, 33.0% said they agree, and 29.6% said they strongly agree. When asked if the government and other health related organizations should study and research alternative medicine, 0.7% said they strongly disagree, 1.9% said they disagree, 29.6% said they were indifferent, 40.4% said they agree, and 27.4% said they strongly agree. When asked if the practitioner should be educated and licensed in the field of alternative medicine, 0.7% said that they strongly disagree, 2.6% said that they disagree , 33.7% said they were indifferent, 38.5% said that they agree, and 24.4% said they strongly agree. Considering the results of the survey, the government should intervene and fund research to develop different methods of alternative therapies as well as suggest these safer methods to the public. The government and other health related organizations should study and research alternative medicine. Also, the practitioners should be educated and licensed in the field of alternative medicine. We can see that it is time to develop the ways for alternative medicine and modern medicine to coexist.