• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

Objectives : There is a correlation between student's satisfaction of education and their occupation satisfaction. Therefore, Korean medical school students' satisfaction toward their education is important for their medical ability in Traditional Korean Medicine(TKM). The purpose of this study is to investigate TKM school students' satisfaction of education and their perceptions of TKM level. Methods : The questionnaire used in this study is consisted of questions about students' satisfaction and their perception toward issues about TKM. 168 cases were collected, and I analyzed 164 cases. Results : 43.9% of students think that the ratio of western medical courses to TKM courses in TKM school's curriculum is 'Proper'. 54.3% of students do not satisfy their curriculum. But, 51.2% of students would recommend high school students for entrance to TKM school. 77.9% of students think 'TKM doctor should use modern medical device'. 92.7% and 61.9% of students think 'Needed' toward 'Cooperation of western medicine and Korean medicine', and 'Medical unification' each. There are correlations ; (1)'recognition toward ratio of curriculum', (2)'satisfaction of curriculum', (3)'degree of recommendation to enter the TKM School', (4)'relation between TKM and Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) or Complementary and Alternative Medicine(CAM)'. Conclusions : Student's satisfaction of education is not quite high than satisfaction of TKM study itself. Most of respondents agreed usage of medical devices. The more they thought that they had curriculum for western medicine, the lesser they thought that medical unification was ont needed. Further studies are needed to assess satisfactions of students for their education with more accuracy results.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.171-178
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• 2015

Objective : To assess the utilization patternsand satisfaction factors of Traditional Korean Medicine(TKM) in Korea. Method : The study design of this paper is from a nationally representative random e-mails and interview surveys. In this survey, we asked 2000 Korean adults between the ages of 20 and 69, whether they have used TKM in the past three years and if so, what were their experiences and how satisfied they were with the care they have received. Results : Sixty percent of respondents(n=1239) answered that they had used TKM in the past three years. The odds of using TKM were higher in female(OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.24-1.78) and academic backgrounds of university graduate or beyond (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.01-1.60), and lower in unmarried person (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.55-0.84) in the multivariable analysis. The most frequent purpose for seeking TKM and receiving treatment was to 'treat illness'.In addition, the use herbal medicine among types of TKM is statistically significant in sexual groupings.748(60.4%) among TKM users responded that they had a satisfying experience during TKM treatment. In multivariable logistic model, the odds of satisfaction from using TKM were higher in employed groups(OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.02-1.77), the reason for using of personalized medicine into TKM(OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.00-2.26). Conclusion : Korean traditional medicine doctors need to develop and provide the personalized medicine for the group of high utilization rate and satisfaction, and make strategies to disseminate TKM utilization for the group of lower utilization.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.55-71
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• 2009

Background : Traditional Korean medicine(TKM) has gained in popularity among chronic patients in recent years. The use of TKM among patients with chronic diseases is common, with about two thirds of patients using some form of TKM in Korea. Objectives : The purpose of this study is to analyze the use of TKM and determine what factors affect to use TKM among patients with chronic diseases. The study also aims to provide information on TKM therapies and assist therapy selection among various TKM therapies for patients with chronic diseases. Methods : The design of the study was descriptive cross-sectional, and data were collected using a 21-item questionnaire. This study was conducted with subjects with confirmed diagnosis of chronic diseases, who live in Jeju Province, Korea. Results : Among the participants, past or current TKM use was 66.7%, with a statistically significant difference in gender and level of health status groups(p<0.05), but no difference in age, marital status, education, occupation, and income groups. The most common therapies of TKM used by the patients included acupuncture(51.1%), physiotherapy(16.8%), cupping(13.5%), and herbal medicine(4.8%). The main benefits from TKM perceived by the patients were chronic diseases management and health promotion. In a logistic regression analysis, significant influencing factors related to TKM use were gender, family income level, the extent of recognition of efficacy, heath status, and health security program. Conclusions : In this study the socio-demographic and health status, recognition of TKM efficacy factors associated with TKM use among patients with chronic diseases were similar to those found in the general population. The findings suggest that due to the relatively high use of TKM among patients with chronic diseases in Korea, this topic should be taken into account in the development of a holistic approach for patients with chronic diseases and an efficient chronic disease management system. Additionally proactive and consistent management of TKM is necessary in the health care system in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.149-154
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• 2008

With sophisticated clinical skills and the effectiveness of Traditional Korean Medicine(TKM), many TKM doctors look forward to over seas expansion. About 450 TKM doctors had NCCAOM certificate, but only 40 TKM doctors arc in US now. Because The status of NCCAOM certificate in USA is not adequate enough for TKM doctors to perform medical treatments. In case of US, State medical boards depend to a large extent on the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates(ECFMG) for certification of international medical graduates (IMGs) seeking licensure in the United States. In addition to receiving certification that includes verification of education credentials, IMGs must pass Steps I and II of the USMLE. In order to obtain a license to practice in the United States, IMGs must successfully complete a residency in a program approved by the American Council of Graduate Medical Education(ACGME) and the complete Step III, the final step in the USMLE. TKM doctors, in the prospective of overseas expansion, applied to ECFMG and their applications have been rejected. This circumstance happened because Korea is unique country in the world with two different medical licensing system, Oriental and Western, both being physician workforce. Rejection by ECFMG occurred because of their minimal understanding of Korea's situation, while the responsibility to inform, propagate and protect TKM doctors own rights depend exclusively to Korean government, TKM doctor oneself and its related organizations, all the members should endeavor on it.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 2017

Objectives : This study aimed to examine the status of public health promotion programs in Traditional Korean Medicine (PHPP-TKM) from program managing public officials. Methods : The survey was a self-administered questionnaires based on internet service, survey monkey. The survey included the conducting status, obstacles, and improvement points of PHPP-TKM. Results : A total number of 179 officials participated the survey (response rate 71.0%), comprising 92.8% female. The survey demonstrated that 70.3% of participants conducted PHPP-TKM. The most frequent PHPP-TKM were stroke and bone/joint program. The reasons for not conducting PHPP-TKM were lack of financial support and program contents. The obstacles during conducting PHPP-TKM were insufficient contents and assessment index in PHPP-TKM. To develop necessary program for local residents and to secure financial support were required for managing future PHPP-TKM. Conclusions : The results suggests that various contents, validated assessment index, stable funds are to promote PHPP-TKM.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.24-36
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• 2022

Objectives: This study is a comparative analysis of the satisfaction and recognition characteristics for traditional Korean medicine (TKM) in people with disabilities and the general population of Korea. Methods: Here, 5,000 subjects were categorized into two groups based on a disability rating using the data from the 2017 National Survey for the Usage of Korean Medicine. The relationships among the sociodemographic characteristics, TKM usage status, recognition of TKM usage, and recognition of the effectiveness of the TKM treatment were analyzed based on the disease. The response reliability was verified using the chi-square test analysis method. Results: Disabilities corresponded with low rates of high school or higher education (44%, 83.5%) and no jobs (56.9%, 33.5%), mostly the status of the low-income class with a monthly household income of < 1,500 USD (50.9%, 10.5%), poor health conditions (55.2%, 9.8%), high chronic disease prevalence rate (69.0%, 19.9%), high medical care rate (11.2%, 0.5%), and low commercial health insurance subscription rate (44%, 74.2%). Furthermore, people with disabilities visited TKM institutions more often (88.8%, 74.1%) with a high frequency TKM usage rate of ≥ 1-2 times a month (26.2%, 15.3%). They also reported that the cost of using the TKM was very high (14.7%, 8.8%) and that primarily the application of insurance benefits should be improved (52.6%, 47.5%). The treatment effectiveness for diseases was high for musculoskeletal disorders for both people with disabilities and the general population. Conclusion: Preferential application of insurance benefits for musculoskeletal diseases must be extended to the TKM treatment as well, as people with disabilities have a high recognition for these conditions with TKM. It is difficult to perform randomized controlled trials on people with disability. Therefore, large-scale observational and cohort studies should be conducted. We hope this study will help establish a suitable TKM policy for people with disabilities.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.1068-1076
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• 2010

This study was to establish and evaluate international educational program for foreign traditional medicine students with traditional Korean medicine in School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, and discussed prerequisite requirements for international educational program. The Introduction to Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) was constructed with Korea and TKM, Understanding TKM, Future of TKM, Clinical Skills (lecture and practice), Clinical practice (observation), Field trip, and others. The overall assessment was concluded as excellent (91.7%). The prerequisite requirements for planning and operating educational program, and key points for the success of international program were discussed. And the necessity of Center for International Educational of Traditional Medicine was described. This study can be used as a reference manual for globalization of TKM education and proposal for making policy on TKM.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.64-70
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• 2010

Objective: This study aimed to construct an overview of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scales for application in studies of traditional Korean medicine (TKM). Methods: We analyzed all HRQOL scales from the PROQOLID web site (www.proqolid.org) regarding to classification, application purposes, and translation to Korean version. We also searched clinical studies focused on "Quality of Life" using TKM. Results: A total of 660 HRQOL instruments were analyzed; 99 were for general condition while 559 were disease-specific. Twenty clinical studies for TKM were conduced using HRQOL scales. Conclusion: The adaptation of the international HRQOL instrument is strongly recommended in TKM-associated clinical study, and development of a TKM-specific HRQOL scale is needed for globalization of TKM.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.67-81
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• 2011

Background : Complementary and alternative medicine has bee used to cardiovascular diseases. In recent years, many hospitals have tried to integrate complementary and alternative medicine(CAM) with conventional medical approaches for patients with chronic diseases. Recently, the prevalence of the use of traditional Korean medicine(TKM) among patients with chronic diseases, expecially, hemiplegia patients after cerebrovascular accident is increasing in Korea. To date, however, there were only few studies addressing the patients' attitudes, and utilization of TKM, compared to the well-documented escalating use of TKM among consumers in Korea. Objectives : The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence of TKM use among hemiplegia patients after cerebrovascular accident and to determine what factors affect to use CAM among the patients. The study also aims to provide information on TKM and assist therapy selection among various CAM therapies for hemiplegia patients after cerebrovascular accident within health care system in which both practitioners of TKM and practitioners of modern Western medicine coexisted. Methods : The design of the study was descriptive cross-sectional, and data were collected using a 32-items questionnaire. The subjects were one hundred fifty nine patients with chronic diseases who visited or admitted to health care facilities in a hospital in Seoul Metropolitan city, Korea. Data were analyzed using 'SPSS Statistics 18.0 Network Version(on release 18.0.1 of PASW Statistics)' program. Various statistical methods were used to obtain a profile for participants and the therapies most frequently used by hemiplegia patients of TKM. Logistic regression analysis was employed in order to determine the predicting variables of TKM use. Results : The prevalence of the use of TKM was 51.6%. The most common TKM therapies used by the patients included acupuncture(93.2%), herbal medicine(64.8%), and cupping(37.5%). Results of logistic regression analysis revealed that the variables significantly related with TKM use were gender, marital status, job, No. of visiting health care facilities/week. Conclusions : This study shows that the use of TKM among the hemiplegia patients is relatively high in Korea, this topic should be taken into account in the development of a holistic approach for patients with chronic diseases and an efficient chronic disease management system in Korea.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.170-178
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• 2013

Objectives: Because TKM-related statistics are scattered in year books, white papers, or web services, it is not easy to use. This study aimed to build a TKM statistical database offering one-stop service. Methods: We collected TKM statistics from year books, white papers, and web services using TKM related keywords which came from the advanced study. Then we removed, merged, or split the statistics looking through data and meta-data of statistics to build a database. Results: First, we classified the statistics into 6 categories and found that the service category was 303, product category 37 and so on. Second, we analyzed the source of statistics and found that the Ministry of Health & Welfare and the Korea statistics were the strongest sources. Third, we analyzed the years of statistics and found that the oldest was 1962, 35% were within the past 3 years, and only 14% were over 10 years old. Finally, we found that the 415 statistics were composed of 1,120 items and the average was 2.70. Conclusions: Through this study we found that more sophisticated TKM statistics must be produced and developed specially in the education, research, and administration categories. We hope that the effort of TKM societies is available to eliminate the lack of statistical producer's understanding about TKM.