• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.79-82
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• 2013

The demand for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing worldwide. High-technology medicine is not always effective and is often accompanied by neglected self-care and high cost. Also, conventional medicine has become dependent on expensive technological solutions to health problems. Integrated medicine is not simply a synonym for complementary medicine. It involves the understanding of the interaction of the mind, body, and spirit and how to interpret this relationship in the dynamics of health and disease. Integrative medicine shifts the orientation of the medical practice from a disease-based approach to a healing-based approach. In South Korea, CAM education was first provided 20 years ago, and integrative medicine is becoming part of the current mainstream medicine. Increasing numbers of fellowships in integrative medicine are being offered in many academic health centers in the U.S. Also, it has emerged as a potential solution to the American healthcare crisis and chronic diseases, which are bankrupting the economy. It provides care that is patient-centered, healing-oriented, emphasizes the therapeutic relationship, and uses therapeutic approaches originating from conventional and alternative medicine.

• The Journal of Korean Medical History
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.57-69
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• 2010

Objective: Interests in integrative medicine and CAM(Complementary and Alternative Medicine) are on the rise. However, the term 'integrative medicine' is often confused with the concept of CAM. This paper aims at clarifying the concept of integrative medicine. Methods: The definition, concept, and research methods used to explain integrative medicine have been inquired into. Also, the differences between the researches on integrative medicine and those on CAM have been studied. Moreover, domestic researches regarding integrative medicine have been analyzed. Results: The concept of integrative medicine was born in order to create a more patient-centered medicine by actively accommodating the medical system classified as CAM. The biggest difference that discriminates integrative medicine from CAM is the fact that integrative medicine does not depend solely on establishing its grounds through the process of RCT(Randomized Controlled Trial). Conclusion: Domestic researches regarding integrative medicine naturally leads to the concept of unification of medicine, but they do not concern the original meaning of integrative medicine. It is only after active discussions on the meaning, philosophical backgrounds, and research methods of integrative medicine become possible that a truly patient-oriented medicine will be realized.

• 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.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.37-65
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• 2007

The Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) is an international organization established to encourage scientific evaluation, dissemination of evidence-based information, and appropriate clinical integration of complementary therapies (http://www.Integrativeonc.org.). Practice Guidelines were developed by the authors listed below and by the Executive Committee of the Society for Integrative Oncology, which approved this document. Guidelines are a work in progress; they will be updated as needed and are available on the SIO Web site as well: www.IntegrativeOnc.org.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.9
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• pp.915-919
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• 2005

The increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine(CAM) in Korea as well as in U.S.A. and Europe seems to lead to a growing integration of CAM with conventional medicine. By using conventional mainstream medicine with CAM(integrative medicine) proved in efficacy and safety, integrative medicine seeks to treat the whole person, to assist the innate healing properties of each person and to promote health and wellness as well as the prevention of diseases. Also in pediatric diseases, especially for cancer patients, integrative medicine serves as an interdisciplinary, comprehensive, and children-centered care which results in more effective care by synergistically combining therapies. But the research to prove the efficacy and safety of CAM and the education for CAM in the medical school should proceed before applying them to patients.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.25-38
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• 2008

Objectives : Integrative medicine in Korea is the 21st century-style medical practice of two orthodox medical doctrines, traditional Korean medicine and western conventional medicine, as well as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAM with scientific evidence should be incorporated in undergraduate curricula for the purpose of Korean integrative medicine. Methods : Items of detailed objectives, syllabi, textbooks, instructor's experiences, and effectiveness and reason for difficulty of the CAM curriculum for undergraduate students were analyzed and the preference of CAM therapies and others were also evaluated. Results and Discussion : The effectiveness of this CAM class curriculum was high (8.0$\pm$1.4) enough to be used in other Oriental medical colleges. Development of ability for self-study was rated as 7.0$\pm$1.7 and the helpfulness for clinical use was marked as 6.8$\pm$1.9. Students preferred placebo, Ayurveda, aromatherapy, yoga, functional food, bio-feedback and homeopathy. The difficulty degree was 7.2$\pm$1.6, and the amount of content was suggested as the major reason for it. We also found that this curriculum can be a model for self-oriented study and problem-based learning. Discussions were made for the improvement of the implemented CAM curriculum, which was shown to be very effective for the achievement of Korean integrative medicine. Conclusion : We have successfully installed a CAM curriculum for undergraduate students at the College of Oriental Medicine, and it can be used in others.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.35-42
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• 2011

Objectives : The terms, CAM and Integrative Medicine, have been often used to conceptualize relation between TKM and western medicine in Korea. But both terms often lead to confusion since the backgrounds of those were not being properly discussed. Methods : We researched the concepts of CAM and Integrative Medicine through the changes in definitions and research methods. Results : Although modern medical verification of CAM showed some results through scientific researches, there existed certain limitations. The term Integrative Medicine newly emerged for this reason. The rise of the new term came to criticize existing research methodologies such as RCTs or SRs. However in Korea, Integrative Medicine has often been misunderstood as a unification of two different medical systems. Conclusions : Thus, in future research of relationship between TKM and western medicine, debates on plausibility & philosophical background of TKM, and research methodology are indispensable.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.16-26
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• 2022

Objectives: Traditional Korean medicine (TKM) has been supplied as part of a national health care system in South Korea under a dual medical system, however it has been difficult to mix western medicine and TKM medical practices in existing hospitals. For the objective of innovative integration between them, Comprehensive and Integrative Medicine Hospital were founded in Daegu, South Korea. Here, we discussed the clinical outcomes of cancer patients who received integrative cancer treatment (ICT). Methods: A total of 678 patients previously diagnosed with cancer were retrospectively checked in our institution for 2 years. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 573 patients were eligible for the final analysis. The overall survival (OS) of these patients in the aftercare period were determined. We looked at how clinical factors and treatments including chemotherapy, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and TKM affected the OS. Results: At the first visit, 212 subjects had no evidence of disease after tumor resection and 355 ones with advanced cancer, who receiving ICT including chemotherapy, CAM, and TKM showed better OS compared to the CAM including TKM or the best supportive care (median OS = 216, 78, and 46 days, respectively). The median OS was not reached in TKM only, even though the sample size was small (N=12). Even after adjusting for clinical factors associated to liver, renal, and hematologic manifestation, ICT still remained significant. Conclusions: We demonstrated that ICT might be beneficial for advanced cancer regardless of the performance status, liver and renal function, since it positively affected the OS.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2012

The objective of this study is to discuss the role of integrative medicine (IM) in contemporary health care settings, and how and which factors affect and facilitate the success of IM in terms of the integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and conventional medicine in primary health care (PHC). IM is meant to provide the best possible health care, for both patient and physician. The way of IM use in the developed countries presents various ways that IM can be provided, and it appears that strategies have been successfully developed to facilitate integration. Although few of the barriers to the integration of CAM and conventional medicine have been resolved, concerns over the legitimacy of CAM in health care (e.g., safety, biomedical evidence, and efficacy) are being overcome by the use of evidence-based practice in IM delivery. There are dominant models of IM that have been developed. The model types signify different levels of equity between CAM and conventional medicine in regard to the power, autonomy, and control held by each. However, the factors common to all IM models, whether describing CAM as supplementary or complementary to conventional medicine, is the concept of a health care model that aspires to be client-centred and holistic, with focus on health rather than disease as well as mutual respect among peer practitioners. Finally, this study concluded that the growth and viability of traditional Korean medicine(TKM) depend on evidence-based practices and identifying the successful influences on the integration of TKM and conventional medicine for recognition of its inherent value in PHC. Some recommendations for the integration of TKM and conventional medicine were suggested.

• CELLMED
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.23.1-23.6
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• 2015

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice is still popular among the Malaysian population nowadays although western or allopathic medicine is the first line of treatment. Dissatisfaction with health services and therapeutic effects of western medicine or preference for holistic, integrative approach in treatment are common reasons favouring the increasing popularity of CAM practices. The efforts toward integration of CAM and western medicine in Malaysia were rather slow and in a piece-meal fashion. Strategic efforts in strengthening government and self-regulation among practitioners, formalizing education, promoting research, and cultivating national and international networks are necessary to achieve an integrative system. Regulations to restrict the practice and sale of CAM products to licensed practitioners, strict and mandatory registration of the practitioners, inclusion of CAM in essential medicines list, and pricing regulations must be comprehensively discussed. Development of curriculum, offers of scholarship and incentives, promotion of courses and seminars for professionals is necessary to increase the numbers of CAM experts. Malaysia should follow the efforts of other countries on the production and documentation of local CAM data, allocation of funding, and establishment of research centres to assess the efficacy of potentially useful local products. Local and international collaboration in research and continuous education is important for exchange of knowledge and skills. In conclusion more coordinated efforts in regulation of CAM practice and products, formalizing CAM training and education would significantly move the process forward and allow the public to enjoy more health benefits from CAM practice in Malaysia.