• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.23-35
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• 2017

Backgrounds: The demand of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) including Korean Medicine (KM) is increasing worldwide. But cancer patients (CP) still have a difficulty in gathering CAM information or communicating with their doctors, and clinical status in cancer care is unclear in the field of KM in Korea especially. The aim of this study is to examine clinical status of KM for cancer symptom care by KM doctors in medical service institutions. Methods: Total forty nine KM doctors completed the site survey questionnaire. The questionnaire items were to list chief symptom complaints of CP treated with KM and effective KM therapies. Results: The majority of the respondents were general physicians without KM specialist board (67.4%) who have 10-20 years clinical experience with CP (55.1%). Primary cancer lesion, diagnostic status, and treatment period were not different in KM clinical service institutions. In chief symptom complaints of CP treated with KM, gastrointestinal (32.9%), musculoskeletal (19.9%), circulatory & respiratory (16.2%), psychiatric (14.1%), urinary (5.8%) symptoms were in turn. In effective KM therapies assessed by KM doctors, xerostomia (45.7%) and cancer-related fatigue (44.8%) were more effective with herbal treatments. Peripheral neuropathy (43.4%), depression, insomnia (38.2%), and cancer pain (31.9%) were preferred to treat using acupuncture. Conclusion: The CP treated with KM used evenly KM medical service institutions regardless of hospital size, and there will be further survey for CP treated KM in the future.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.319-326
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study was to survey the general perspectives of cancer patients on Korean medicine (KM) treatments. Method: The after focus-group discussion consisted of six cancer patients. The questionnaire items were decided. Fifty randomized cancer patients completed the online survey questionnaire regarding the perspectives of KM in cancer treatment. Results: Cancer patients considered KM to be a treatment performed both by KM doctors (92%) and by others (46%), such as private practitioners. Cancer patients thought of KM treatment as effective (68%) and safe (64%), but not scientific (60%). The answers of the cancer patients regarded whether the KM treatment experiences were different in purpose, satisfaction, and types of KM treatment. The experienced KM cancer patients thought of the optimal purpose of KM as alleviating symptoms or side effects (73.7%). Experienced patients were more satisfied with KM and they preferred acupuncture and moxibustion to thermotherapy. Conclusion: Cancer patients consider KM treatment effective and safe, but not scientific. Cancer patients who are experienced with KM are favorable to KM treatment. The direction of future studies of KM in cancer care should be considered based on these findings.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.57-67
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• 2014

Objective : This study aimed to compare the patients' satisfactions with local Korean Medicine(KM) clinics and networked KM clinics, and to find out which factors had an effect on it. Method : Six local KM clinics and six networked KM clinics were selected, and patients' questionnaires on the satisfaction with KM clinic use were administered using exit poll method. The questionnaires were developed to measure satisfactions with facility, doctor and staffs, and services. 240 patients completed the questionnaires, and the data were statistically analyzed. Results : There was more diversity in patients' diseases among networked KM clinics users, however, treatments provided were not differentiated clinically between two types of KM clinics. Patients' satisfaction scores for local KM clinics were significantly higher than those for networked KM clinics in the aspects of doctors/staffs (9.35 vs 8.92, p<.01) and services (8.76 vs 8.42, p<.05). 90.0% of local KM clinic users expressed their willingness to recommend the clinics they used to others, while 75.0% of networked KM clinics users did. For both the local and networked clinics, 'KM doctors' kindness', and 'process and waiting time' were statistical factors affecting patients' satisfaction. Conclusion : The patients' satisfactions with general KM clinics were higher than those with networked KM clinics. Networked KM clinics need to develop services to meet the diverse medical demands which were created by them selves.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.137-145
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• 2014

The purpose of this paper is to explore the strategy of future Korean medicine(KM) clinical research through the study on the current situation and issues for KM clinical research worldwide. In this study, the papers published in English through Pubmed were investigated mainly. And we analyzed the methodological issues from the clinical research reports in the KM fields. As a result of examining the current situation of the RCTs(Randomized Controlled Trials) studies in KM, the sample size for most studies was small and the overall methodological quality appeared to be low. And there was a discussion about whether or not to apply RCTs method to the KM clinical research. The majority of studies have argued the use of RCTs method for KM clinical research. In addition, we could find some problems through the analysis of KM clinical studies. First, the majority of RCTs in KM were of low quality. Second, RCTs method was applied to the KM clinical studies according to the Western medicine methods only. Third, the actual KM diagnosis was not used in the KM studies and inadequate outcomes measurement methods were utilized without considering the characteristics of KM practice. The methodological issues in the KM clinical research were caused by the conflict between the characteristics of KM practice and clinical research method based on the western medicine.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.115-126
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• 2015

The purpose of this paper is to explore the strategy of future Korean medicine(KM) clinical research through the study on the proposals for KM clinical research worldwide. In this study, the papers published in English through Pubmed were investigated mainly. Among them, we analyzed the methodological proposals from the clinical research papers that were published in the KM related fields. Various proposals for improving the problems in KM clinical studies are as follows. First, KM clinical research should be designed based on understanding for the theory, backgrounds, paradigms and worldviews of KM. In addition, considering the model validity, KM clinical research model should include the diagnosis, interventions and outcomes measurement methods reflecting the characteristics and real practice in KM. The internal validity and external validity should be also taken into account. One of the most important thing is to identify the contents about various and complex 'real practice' in KM. A prospective observational study was suitable for the purpose of this study. Finally, we suggested a few improvement directions for RCTs studies in KM. First, we would be able to improve the quality and the internal validity in KM clinical research using the checklists of CONSORT(Consolidated Standards for Reporting Trials) Statement and STRICTA(Standards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture). Second, we could use various clinical research methods and the modified research of RCTs such as PCT(pragmatic clinical trial) to reflect the characteristics of actual KM practice. Consequently, we would be able to improve the external validity. Third, the KM diagnosis and outcomes measurement methods should be developed based on an actual KM practice and it should reflect a real practice. The 'pattern identification(辨證)' is the core to KM diagnosis. But in order to be applied to the clinical research, the pattern identification(辨證) should be objectified and standardized. Future KM clinical research model should reflect the characteristics and a real practice in KM. In addition, it should include the advantage of rigorous RCTs research.Specially, the diagnosis, interventions and outcomes measurement methods in KM clinical research should reflect this view.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.31-46
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• 2013

Objective : To find a collaboration strategy between western medicine and traditional Korean medicine (KM), this study aims to figure out the changes in the perception and attitude of medical doctors toward KM through systematic review. Method : Systematic literature searches were performed on six Korean databases. Studies were categorized according to the respondents and question items and analyzed by the context of questions, similarity of respondents and measurement scale. And we analyzed the changes of response regarding to medical doctors' and medical students' perspective and attitude to KM. Results : Eighteen survey studies including attitude of medical doctors and medical students toward KM were selected, which were conducted from 1993 to 2011. Although the attitude toward KM did not show any positive change, medical doctors have had more interest in acupuncture than herbal medicine and appreciated KM's treatment effect for musculoskeletal disease. In spite of little KM education experience, they had intentions for acupuncture education at least. Many medical doctors have listed the unscientific aspect as a major reason why they cannot trust KM. Medical doctors working for cooperative practice showed more positive attitude than other medical doctors and medical students had more positive attitude in general than medical doctors Conclusion : Though the growth of KM service and cooperative practice since 1990s, medical doctors' attitude toward KM seems to become more negative. To improve their attitude, making scientific evidences for KM is required as well as giving more education and treatment experience.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2013

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to determine both what information Korean Medicine(KM) doctors want from medical classics and how classic KM knowledge should be structured. Methods: KM doctor survey was conducted in October 2012 via E-mail to determine what information Korean Medicine doctors want to collect from a larger volume of existing classics. Specialist survey was made in October 2012 through questionnaire and 8 workshops were held between April 2012 ~ February 2013 to discuss how to reorganize classic KM knowledge. Results: With two surveys and 8 workshops, we built a conceptualization of the classic KM knowledge system for KM practice. KM doctors wanted to engage with the design of KM knowledge system informed by authentic medical classics, and hoped that more information on common disorders would be added to the table of contents of classic KM books than now. A comprehensive knowledge system was also required to maximize information sharing. Conclusions: Future KM knowledge systems need to be more comprehensive and include more information about disorders with which patients commonly consult KM doctors.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.540-552
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• 2013

This study focuses on discussing several issues that we encounter when we 'modernize' the fundamental theories of Korean Medicine(KM): It is pertinent to set the boundaries of the "fundamental theories" of the KM. The boundaries can be set based on: a) setting the medicine and the philosophy of medicine apart and b) re-evaluating the traditional theories of KM based on the needs of the modern practitioners of KM. The fundamental theories of KM should focus on how effectively they can observe, explain, and predict the clinical cases. The clinical cases and observations should not be distorted in order to satisfy the theory. "The modernization of KM" can be defined as the change in traditional medicine to fit the needs of the contemporary world, while not losing the focus and the nature of the KM. The fundamental theories of KM will play a key role in modernizing the KM, as the focus and the inherent nature of the KM comes from these fundamental theories. The modernization of the fundamental theories of KM will be crucial to both possible models of future healthcare system-the plural healthcare system, or the western medicine-centric integrated healthcare system. The modernization will also help in advancing the future medical studies. The key to modernization of the fundamental theories of the KM is in translating the key terms of KM in modern light. As a solution, this study suggests paying attention to the 'scientific metaphors', and especially to the 'theory-constitute metaphors' among those. More in-depth studies need to be done on these.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.1-13
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• 2023

Objectives: Weight counseling is an inevitable process for patients with obesity who intend to lose weight; however, the contents of real-world counseling practices remain uncertain in Korean medicine (KM) practice. This study aimed to explore the structure and constituents of obesity counseling in KM. Methods: Qualitative methods were used to explore the structure of weight counseling and clinicians' approaches to weight counseling, particularly the advice and main constituents of weight counseling in KM. Nine KM clinicians (4 women, 5 men) from nine clinics completed face-to-face, individual and semi-structured interviews from September 2019 to February 2020 in Seoul, Daejeon, Cheonan, Seongnam, Asan, and Hwaseoug. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and categorized based on their constituents. Results: During weight loss counseling, the six principal constituents of KM identified were: planning with patients, motivation, correcting misinformation on weight loss, dietary and exercise advice, medication guidance, and customized guides for each type. Conclusion: Clinicians with in-depth knowledge about obesity prescribed personalized guidance for exercise, diet, and medication through an integrative approach. The study results provide an in-depth understanding of weight counseling in KM. These six constituents could guide the counseling provided by clinicians in obesity care.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.139-150
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• 2021

This paper examines whether the conceptual metaphor theory, which has been recently treated as important research topic in the field of cognitive linguistics, can be a new method that can promote the modernization of basic Korean medicine (KM) theory. In addition, the significance and potential of this study are reviewed by looking at Chinese research cases that applied this theory to Traditional Chinese Medicine theories and terminologies. The results are summarized as follows. From the viewpoint of metaphoric cognition, KM is a medicine that attempts to understand the human body (microcosm) through nature (great universe) by metaphorically projecting human experiences of nature on the human body based on the thought of correspondence between nature and human (天人相應). The language system of KM is based on a metaphor that extends our experience of nature to the human body, and an abundance of metaphors can be seen throughout the language of KM. Understanding and interpreting KM theories and terminologies from a metaphorical point of view allow us to understand the nature of KM theoretical key terms more deeply than now. And this understanding can help define and describe KM theoretical key terms and promote the modernization of KM theory research. In addition, various image schema that plays an important role in the metaphorical expansion of physical experience can be used for modeling KM theory. Research of KM theories and terminologies from a metaphorical point of view can serve as a bridge between traditional KM theory and modernization research, opening a new path to the modernization of basic KM theory in difficult situations.