• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.107-122
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• 2003

Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate the use rate and some aspect of complementary therapies used by patients with chronic illness(hypertension, diabetic mellitus and chronic arthritis). Methods: 600 patients visiting the health center for one month(Jan. 2001) were interviewed on their complementary therapies used by the subjects for the previous year. Results: About fourteen-eight percent of the respondents used therapies; 35% of patients with hypertension, 44.6% of patients with diabetic mellitus and 62.9% of patients with chronic arthritis, which shows the highest rate among patients with three chronic disease. The use rate of complementary therapies indicates few meaningful differences according to the general characteristics of the interviewees. Hypertension patients used herb medication(31.0%) acupuncture(29.6%) and most of all the other therapies. Diabetic patients used dietary therapy(57.5%) and herb medication(35.1%). Chronic arthritis patients used acupuncture(85%) and herb medication(34.7%). 36.8% of all the patients who used complementary therapies tried more than two therapies. 18.3% of hypertension patients, 24.1% of diabetic patients and 55.9% of chronic arthritis patients used more than two therapies. Acupuncture(47%) was used most frequently, followed by herb medications(26.3%), health assistance utensils(21.8%). oriental therapy(21.8%), physical therapy(9.5%), health assistance food(8.4%), herb(7.7%), Korea hand acupuncture(3.2%), abdomen respiration(1.1%), and pore therapy(0.7%) Oriental clinic was visited most frequently(42.8%), which was used to cure diseases(61.8%), and to relieve symptoms(26.0%). (p<0.001) The cost spent on complementary therapies last year was 90,000 won(40.3%) and there are some cases of more than 500,000 won(31.2%). Most of the patients(56.1%) were satisfied with the complementary therapies, with 6% of them having side effects. 74% of the patients used complementary therapies answered that they would continue them and 56.1% of them also answered that they would continue them and 56.1% of them also answered that they would advise other patients to do them. Advantages(compared with those of orthodox medical treatment) are psychological comfort(28.1%), body protection(26.0%), effectiveness(20.0%). 34% of the patients using complementary therapies wanted to have informational orientation on complementary therapies. These findings reveal that a considerable number of patients with chronic illness(47.5%) tried a variety of complementary therapies. Though 6% of the patients using therapies had side effects, most of the subjects seemed satisfied with them and they are supposed to continue them. Conclusions: In conclusion, health center personnels and medical doctors should pay more attention to the complementary therapies used by patients with chronic illness. They also have to try their best to advise more scientific and informative complementary programs with less side effects and more help to improve their conditions.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.175-192
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to identify the care needs of family-caregivers to the patients with stroke. Subjects were 115 family-caregivers caring for the patients while they were in-patients or out-patients with stroke in two general hospitals and one oriental medicine hospital located in Seoul and Kwang-Ju. The instrument used for this study was made by the researcher on the basis of results of literature review and interviews with family-caregivers, composed of 35 items. Internal validity by calculation of cronbach's alpha with data of respondents was 0.91, which was regarded as high. The Data were analyzed by SAS program, with percentage, mean, t-test, and ANOVA. Factor structures of care needs of family-caregivers were elicited by factor analysis(PCA, Varimax rotation). Datum collection had been from July 1 to August 14, 1997. The results of this study were as follows : 1. The mean score of the sum of the care needs of family-caregivers was 3.96 and the highest-mean item was 'need for immediate care(M=4.77)', and the lowest-mean item was 'need for chaplian's visit (M=2.82)'. 2. Care needs of the family-caregivers were : Need to be informed of the disease, treatment and care ; need of education and assistance related to physical functional level ; need of social support and consultation ; need of management of nursing problem related to immobility ; need of appreciation ; need of the way to communicate with patients ; need of immediate care and help. The highest mean factor was the 'need for immediate care and help(M=4.74)', and the lowest mean factor was the 'need of appreciation(M=3.58)'. 3. The variables influencing the degree of care needs perceived by family-caregivers to the patients with stroke were as follows : There were significant differences between need to be informed of the disease, treatment and care and general characteristic factors, which were family caregiver's sex (p=.0178), caring period(p=.0223) and patient's suffering period(p=.0244). There were significant differences between need of education and assistance related to physical functional level and general characteristic factors, which were patient's paralysis(p=.0177), patient's ADL dependency(p=.0032). There were significant differences between need of social support and consultation and general characteristic factors, which were family caregiver's sex(p=.0055), occupation(p=.0159), religion(p=.0093) and patient's sex(p=.0134). There was significant difference in the degree of need of management of nursing problem related to immobility, according to the patient's ADL dependency(p=.0493). There were significant differences between need of appreciation and general characteristic factors, which were family caregiver's age(p=.0107), sex(p=.0133), and patient's age(p=.0338). There were significant differences between need of the way to communicate with patient and general characteristic factors, which were patient's paralysis(p=.0002) and aphasia(p=.0001). There were significant differences between need of immediate care and help and general characteristic factors, which were family caregiver's caring period(p=.0162) and patient's suffering period(p=.0116). 4. The mean score of patient's ADL dependency was 3. 38 and the highest-mean item was 'ascending and descending stairs(M=4.12)', and the lowest-mean item was 'drinking(M=2.60)'. There was no significant difference in the degrees of care needs related to the patient's ADL dependency. 5. The highest information source of family-caregivers was from the doctors about the disease, treatment and care(26.1%). The second highest one was from mass media(20.8%), and the third one was from the nurses. The above findings may be used as the basic data to seek more efficient way of elevating nursing practice and quality for family-caregivers to the patients with stroke.