Reasons for Decrease Number of Patients at Oriental Medical Clinic

Recently, the oriental medicine industry in Korea has faced much hardship, due to the decreasing number of patients. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the reasons why patients are avoiding oriental medicine, because the percentage of people consuming medical service is an important marker that assesses the value of medical service. The researcher(s), based on theories on factors that affect health, health behaviors, and diseases, sought to find reasons why oriental medicine clinics saw a decline in the number of patients. Also, by proposing the problems inside the oriental medicine, I came to the following conclusion. -Because Koreans have low expectations for oriental medicine, they do not consider it as full medical service. Also, when they get sick, they are reluctant to seek oriental medicine because of reasons such as the limits of oriental medicine and check-ups, expensive medical cost, negative perception of oriental medicine, not enough support from the media, the old image of the oriental medicine and the little power the industry has on the society. -Among the inner problems of the oriental medicine community was the limitations that the science face on incurable and chronic diseases in terms of treatment and management, little professionalism, lack of scientific evidence, the attitude of the oriental medicine society, lack of sophistication in research methodology, and limitations in responding to changes in public health and the surroundings. The purpose of medicine is to eliminate the possibility of shortened life and dangers by treatment of diseases and health maintenance. For this to happen, structural and developed medical theories and means of treatment are necessary. The researcher hypothesizes that the problems that the oriental medicine society is facing mainly come from the lack of efforts and ability to provide such necessities.

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