• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.317-326
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• 2012

Objectives : To investigate the prevalence and utilization pattern of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Methods : We conducted a nationwide survey and a total of 535 individuals with type 2 diabetes were asked about their demographic, diabetes-related characteristics and CAM use. We used multiple logistic regression modeling to determine independent predictors of CAM use. Results : Of the 535 subjects, 417 (77.9%) used CAM in last 12 months. The most commonly used modality was red ginseng (17.9%). CAM use was independently associated with being married, northern area residence, higher education and diabetes duration of 3-5 years. More than half(58.3%) of the CAM users used it expecting a better outcome in addition to conventional therapy. Information sources about CAM were mostly friends (36.0%) and family (31.9%), only 28.1% of diabetic patients seek counsel from medical doctors or oriental medical doctors about CAM. Many people perceived CAM as effective (62.7%) and reported side effects only rarely (1.2%). Conclusions : Many diabetic patients used CAM and found it effective, which urges clinicians to pay attention to CAM use of their diabetic patients. Also, further studies are required regarding efficacy and safety about CAM.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.276-285
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to help in explaining the necessity of education on complementary and alternative medicine(CAM) and opening relevant curriculums in nursing education by grasping the kinds of CAM in which nursing students want to be opened. Data were collected from September 27, 2003 through October 20, 2003. A group of 865 nursing students were surveyed using questionnaires in seven universities whose curriculums on CAM have not been available. Collected data were statistically analyzed by using SAS 8.02 system, and the study results are as follows: 1. The average of subjects' behavior toward CAM was 3.52 of the total 5 with practical affairs 3.79. medical treatment 3.79, social concerns 3.84, and communication 3.78. 2. Most nursing students $(90.6\%)$ did not precisely understand the meaning of CAM although they had heard of it. Most of them $(85.5\%)$ had no experience of applying CAM. The study also revealed that more qualified CAM lecturers in the future are needed: specialist in the relevant field $(83.2\%)$, doctor and herb doctor $(6.5\%)$, clinical nurse $(6.0\%)$ and professor of the department of nursing science $(4.3\%)$. 3. Concerning students' behavior toward CAM, there were statistically significant difference between students from agrarian and fishing villages (F=4.91. p=.007) and the others. 4. CAM courses that students want were therapeutic touch (massage) $(22.9\%)$. aroma therapy $(14.8\%)$, manual healing methods $(14.7\%)$, treatment of blood vessel $(8.3\%)$, foot reflexology $(7.9\%)$, and heart remedy $(6.8\%)$. In conclusion, the study indicated that nursing students had positive attitudes toward CAM and for this. healers should have a frank talk with patients in order to maximize symptom-relieving effects. However, the study showed that most nursing students did not understand the exact meaning of CAM. Considered the fact that improvement of both health status and quality of life will be an important issue in the future, active introduction and education of CAM in nursing curriculum are a matter of necessity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.3139-3144
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• 2014

Background: Medical treatment for eliminating the side effects of cancer therapy may not always be efficacious. Acupuncture is one of the most widely accepted alternative and complementary therapies in use today. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of acupuncture in patients experiencing cancer treatment side effects, including nausea, vomiting, pain, poor sleep quality and anxiety. Materials and Methods: A total of 45 inpatients who underwent chemotherapy between February and April 2013 in the Oncology Department of Numune Hospital were included in our study. Acupuncture was administered to the patients one day prior to chemotherapy, on the day of chemotherapy and one day after chemotherapy. The patients were evaluated on nausea, vomiting, pain, sleep quality and anxiety before the chemotherapy and on the $4^{th}$ day of chemotherapy. Results: Of the 45 patients included in the study, 18 (40%) were female and 27 (60%) were male. A total of 25 (55.6%) had an elementary school education; 32 patients (71%) had stage 4 cancer and were treated with palliative chemotherapy (the patient characteristics are shown in Table 1). Statistically significant decreases (p<0.001) in pain, nausea, vomiting, insomnia and anxiety scores were observed after the acupuncture treatment compared to baseline. There were no differences in the age, gender, education level, stage or metastasis levels between the patient groups whose symptoms improved or were unchanged. Conclusions: Our study showed that acupuncture has positive effects in cancer treatment patients who experience nausea, vomiting, pain, poor sleep quality and anxiety as side effects of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy-related side effects in cancer patients could be decreased by the concurrent use of acupuncture.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.21-25
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• 2005

Background and Objectives: The popularity of complementary and alternative medicine(CAM) has grown at an astonishing rate in recent years. Because patients are interested in CAM and want to use it, physicians also should be concerned about CAM and know about the current situation of its usage. In this study, we tried to determine the prevalence of CAM use in the patients with head and neck cancer and correlate with demographics and tumor characteristics. Materials and Methods: A total of 87 patients with head and neck cancer previously treated with surgery at Seoul National University Hospital from March through June, 2004 were enrolled in this study. The patients were completed, questionnaire about the use of CAM and demographic information. Tumor characteristics were obtained from the patient's medical records. Results: Of the 87 patients, 33 patients(37.9%) use at least one CAM. There was no statistically significant correlation between patient's data and prevalence of CAM use. Of those patients using CAM, 16(48.5%) of 33 were using 2 or more therapies. The majority of agents used by patients in this study are mushrooms such as Phellinus and Reishi, followed by dietary therapy. A majority(60.6%) of patients were introduced to alternative medicine by friends or family members. Conclusion: Considerable cancer patients use CAM. Head and neck oncologists should inform themselves about CAM to counsel and educate the patients. Further scientific investigations on promising CAM agents may help advance cancer treatment.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.147-156
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• 2013

Purpose: The study was done to define complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among primary brain tumor patients and factors influencing use. Methods: The study was conducted with convenience sampling in 5 neuro-oncology centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Data were collected using a 25-item questionnaire developed by the researchers. Results: Of 250 patients approached, 231 (92.4%) agreed to participate. Overall, 26.8% of the respondents used CAM and the average cost for CAM use was 300,000 KRW. More than 72% of CAM users did not disclose CAM use to their health care professionals. The most frequently used therapy was natural products including mushrooms. Logistic regression analysis revealed that an education level of university or higher (OR=2.92, 95% CI=1.56-5.44, p=.001), unemployment (OR=1.99, 95% CI=1.04-3.80, p=.037), and WHO grade III & IV tumors (OR=2.18, 95% CI=1.07-4.72, p=.048) were significant factors influencing CAM use. Conclusion: Three out of ten brain tumor patients spend substantial sum of money for CAM. In these situations, health care professionals should be aware of this phenomenon and provide adequate information and consultation to the patients.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.220-229
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• 2020

Objectives: Although Acne vulgaris is a chronic skin disease, which its standard treatment causes therapeutic limitations and some common adverse effects, medicinal plants can be effective in treatment with low adverse effects as combination therapy. Myrtle (Myrtus Communis) has some beneficial properties, which has been administered topically and orally for some skin diseases in Persian medicine. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of Myrtle formula and 1% clindamycin topical solution. Methods: This was a split-face clinical trial that was done on 55 patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris for 16 weeks. The patients received topical Myrtle solution to the right side of the face (group 1) and clindamycin solution to the left side (group 2) twice daily for 12 weeks. All participants were examined for the acne severity index (ASI) and total acne lesions counting (TLC) at certain times during the study. Then, they stopped using them for four weeks. They also did not take the drug in the final four weeks of the study. Results: Forty-eight patients completed the study for 16 weeks; 40 (83.2%) patients were female and the rest of them were male. The mean age and standard deviation were 25.62 ± 7.62 years. After 12 weeks, the percentage changes of comedones, inflammatory lesions, ASI and TLC were significantly reduced in both groups (p < 0.001). The percentage change of inflammatory lesions and ASI decrease was significantly higher in the group 1 (p = 0.03). There was no significant difference in the incidence of side effects between the two groups. There was a more significant decrease in sebum percentage change in the group 1 (p = 0.003). Conclusion: Myrtle lotion was effective and safe for the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.197-210
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• 2024

Purpose : This study aimed to analyze research trends in the field of integrative medicine through a bibliometric analysis of articles published in Integrative Medicine Research (IMR) journal from 2017 to 2022. Methods : Articles published in IMR journal between 2017 and 2022 were searched using the Web of Science database on August 22, 2023. The analysis was performed using the Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny tools in R (version 4.3.1) and VOSviewer (version 1.6.19). Results : The key findings were as follows: average citations per article (9.41), total authors (1,142), single-authored articles (12), average articles per author (0.27), average co-authors per article (5.27), and rate of international co-authorships (15.69 %). The most-cited article was on the cryopreservation of cells or tissues and their clinical applications. The top keyword analysis by author keywords showed that "acupuncture" was the most frequently used keyword (33 times). Co-occurrence network analysis showed 85 high-frequency keywords that appeared five or more times, and the top five keywords by total link strength were "acupuncture," "herbal medicine," "prevalence," "alternative medicine," and "complementary." The study found that, contrary to the trend in complementary and alternative medicine research in Korea, the IMR journal actively conducts intervention studies to provide clinical evidence. Conclusion : In the IMR journal, "acupuncture" was the most frequent of author keywords. The analysis of keyword trend topics over time showed that the keyword "systematic review" continued to appear from 2020 to 2022, and the keyword "clinical practice guideline" appeared for the first time in 2021. In particular, the co-occurrence network analysis highlighted keywords related to intervention research, in contrast to domestic research trends. While this study analyzed only one journal, future studies expanding the category of integrative medicine and increasing the number of journals analyzed may provide further insights.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.339-346
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• 2006

Background: There has no known epidemiologic survey on the frequency of complementary-alternative medicine (CAM) use in the treatment of adult asthma in Korea. This study examined the current use of CAM by asthma patients in Korea. Methods: One hundred adults with asthma, who had been admitted to Kyunghee university hospital between January 2000 and December 2003, were enrolled in this survey. They received a structured questionnaire interview and a clinical assessment of prevalence and pattern of CAM use. Results: 53% patients had an experience of at least one type of CAM during their asthma management. Users of CAM had more hospital visits than those who had never used CAM($1.46{\pm}0.68$ vs. $2.11{\pm}1.20$, p=0.001). Those in their $50^{th}$ decades had more experience of CAM (80%) than the other age groups. The methods of CAM used by our patients are as follows: Diet/nutritional therapy in 35 patients(69%), herbal therapy in 28 patients(53%), acupuncture in 9 patients(17%), moxa treatment in 6 patients(11%), breathing exercises in 1 patient(2%). Conclusions: More than 50% of patients with bronchial asthma have used CAM. A more detailed and large scaled study will be needed to define the actual status of the use of CAM in the treatment for asthma. Inaddition, further research on the scientific validation of the clinical efficacy of CAM in asthma management should be followed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2547-2554
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• 2014

Background: To evaluate the perception of cancer patients toward treatment services and influencing factors and to inquire about the use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM). Materials and Methods: Information was obtained through pre-tested structured questionnaires completed by cancer patients during treatment at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results: Of 242 patients, 137 (64.6%) accepted to enter this study. Most were Saudi (n=93, 68%), female (n=80, 58%), educated at university (n=71, 52%), married (n=97, 72%) and with breast cancer (n=36, 26%). One-hundred (73%) patients were satisfied with the services provided; 61% were Saudi. Ninety-four (68%) respondents were satisfied with the explanation of their cancer. Twenty-eight (21.6%) patients received CAM, of them 54.0% received herbal followed by rakia (21.0%), nutritional supplements/vitamins (7.0%) and Zamam water (18.0%), with significant differences among them (p =0.004). Seven (5%) patients believed this therapy could be used alone; 34 (25%) patients believed it could be used with other treatments, regardless of whether they themselves used this therapy. Fifty-three (53%) satisfied patients felt they received enough support; 31 (58%) patients received support from family and friends; 22 (41.6%) patients received support from the health-care team. Patients who received information about their disease from their physicians and those who felt they had enough support were more satisfied. The patients who took alternative treatment were older age, mostly female and highly educated but values did not reach significance. Conclusions: We stress enhancing the educational and supportive aspects of cancer-patient services to improve their treatment satisfaction and emphasize the need for increasing the educational and awareness programs offered to these patients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.84 no.2
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• pp.105-114
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• 2021

Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been used frequently, and its use continues to increase in lung cancer patients, despite insufficient scientific of its efficacy. To investigate this situation, we analyzed the current awareness and use of CAM in Korean lung-cancer patients. Methods: This prospective survey-based study was performed at seven medical centers in South Korea between August and October 2019. The survey assessed general patient characteristics and the awareness and use of CAM. We analyzed differences in the clinical parameters of patients aware and not aware of CAM and of CAM non-users and users. Results: Of the 434 patients included in this study, 68.8% responded that they were aware of CAM and 30.9% said they had experienced it. In univariate analysis, the patients aware of CAM were younger with poor performance status, had advanced-stage lung cancer, received more systemic therapy, and received concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT). By multiple logistic regression, younger age, poor performance status, advanced stage, and prior CCRT were identified as independent risk factors for CAM awareness. There were no significant differences in the general characteristics and cancer-associated clinical parameters of CAM non-users and users. Conclusion: Specific clinical parameters were associated with patients' awareness of CAM, although there were no significantly different characteristics between CAM users and non-users.