• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.1-15
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• 2020

Objectives : The objectives of this study were to investigate why and how China used traditional Chinese medicine as a response to COVID-19 and how its performance was achieved, and to explore ways to utilize traditional Korean medicine in Korea. Methods : We examined the information through government data and media articles. China's COVID-19 progress and policy response were reviewed and compared with Korea. Based on this, the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine response in China were identified. Results : Based on legal basis, China makes the overall use of traditional Chinese medicines to respond to COVID-19. Traditional Chinese medicine has been applied to health insurance, the licensing regulations have been eased, and traditional Chinese medical specialists were dispatched. The medical care guidelines were developed and R&D were carried out. In addition, policies related to traditional Chinese medicine included policies for preventive treatment, the combination of Chinese and Western medicine, and telemedicine. Conclusions : Traditional Chinese medicine response to COVID-19 was included within the overall national quarantine policy, providing medical services for the mild stage. In addition, R&D was conducted to establish a basis for the utilization of traditional Chinese medicines. Traditional Korean medicine also needs to be prepared so that it can be used as a complement to the response of communicable diseases.

• 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.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 2012

Objectives : This study aimed to obtain general information for the design of a medical tourism plan toward Chinese using Korean medicine (KM). Methods : A questionnaire was asked of Chinese tourists regarding of Korea traditional medical tourism. 148 valid responses were obtained and their awareness of KM, and preferred subject and decision factors for their participation in Korea traditional medical tourism were analyzed using SPSS version 12.0. Results : 72% of respondents showed over a moderate degree of interest in medical tourism of KM. The most preferred subject was skin aesthetics, followed by medical check-ups and rehabilitation. Medical skill level, communication, and medical cost were indicated as the important factors for participants' decisions about KM-based medical tourism. Conclusions : Medical tourism could be a potential avenue for development by the KM-based Korean medical industry. Cosmetic-associated medical services are recommended, and enhanced public relations about KM-medical skill levels are strongly suggested for Chinese tourists.

• 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.36 no.3
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• pp.335-347
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• 2015

Objectives This study aims to overview traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment guidelines for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in order to facilitate the use of Korean medicine (KM) treatment in pandemic diseases. Methods We compared the characteristics between SARS and MERS, and overviewed the Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment guidelines for SARS and MERS. We assessed the efficacy of simultaneous administration of herbal medicine and Western medicine on SARS by studying Cochranes 2012's Systematic Review Studies. Results and Conclusions Based on wen bing (warm diseases) of KM as well as TCM, KM treatment can be an alternative for pandemic diseases such as SARS and MERS considering the Korean's characteristic environment.

• 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.

• 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.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.301-316
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• 2022

Objectives: To compare Korean medicine (KM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) psychotherapy for anxiety. Methods: Databases including MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE (via Elsevier), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System were comprehensively searched. Prospective clinical studies on KM or TCM psychotherapy for patients with anxiety disorder or individuals with elevated anxiety levels published up to August 3, 2022 were reviewed. Psychotherapy was divided into counselling, art therapy, and meditation according to its characteristics. Results: A total of 12 clinical studies were reviewed, including nine randomized controlled trials. The most common disorder investigated was post-traumatic stress disorder. Ten studies used TCM psychotherapy and two used KM psychotherapy. As for differences between TCM psychotherapy and KM psychotherapy, TCM psychotherapy utilized pattern identification in the procedure more actively than KM psychotherapy. In addition, some TCM studies have attempted to directly converge Western psychotherapy (i.e., hypnosis) and Eastern psychotherapy (i.e., Taoin qigong therapy). In the case of KM psychotherapy, there was an attempt to incorporate psychotherapy with Sasang constitutional medicine. Reported effects of TCM psychotherapy and KM psychotherapy on anxiety were positive. Conclusions: Research status of KM psychotherapy and TCM psychotherapy for anxiety was investigated, revealing some of their characteristics, commonalities, and differences. Findings of this review have the potential to provide a clue to the development of conventional KM psychotherapy and new medical technology for KM psychotherapy.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.14-25
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• 2023

Objectives: South Korea, the United States, and the United Nations have imposed extensive economic sanctions against North Korea, which increased the use of traditional Korean medicine in North Korea to maintain its national health care system. This study attempts to study the latest trends of traditional Korean medicine research through bibliographic analysis of one of the North Korean medical journals. It will then provide insights into how traditional Korean medicine is used in North Korea. Methods: This study is based on 611 clinical research articles out of 931 articles extracted from 13 volumes of Koryo Medicine (2016 ~ 2019). The articles were classified according to the researched treatment, diseases and use alongside conventional drugs. Results: Based on the analysis of Koryo Medicine, the proportion of clinical research articles investigating the treatment effects was very high (65.6%). Also, clinical research using herbal medicine as treatment was the most common, accounting for 17.69% of the total. Some of the clinical research in Koryo Medicine were conducted in tandem with conventional drug treatment, especially on acupuncture. Conclusion: This study conducted a bibliographic analysis of Koryo Medicine to understand the current status of traditional Korean medicine within North Korea. The analysis identified main diseases, treatment methods, and integration with conventional drugs in the clinical research of traditional Korean medicine. As a country actively seeking to use traditional Korean medicine, North Korea will become an interesting field of global traditional medicine and complementary medicine research.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.421-447
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• 2014

Traditional medicine has been integrated into the national health system in many countries such as Korea, China, Taiwan, etc. Korea and China are most representative among them. The purpose of this study is to compare the policies on traditional medicine in Korea and China focusing on where it came from and where it is headed. In this regard, the study suggested the first analysis tool in the world for analyzing the policy of traditional medicine. The results of the study are as follows: First of all, the development process of Korean Medicine (KM) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) shows the same pattern, that is, both are influenced by its own national policies. Secondly, the difference between the two countries is due to the gap in the development status or the different aspects in national heath system. TCM is more vitalized in health system and has larger category, and stays ahead in globalization compared to KM. TCM covers Chinese medicine, integrative medicine and ethno-medicine. Korea emphasizes the role of KM in the declining birthrate and aging society, and promotes the overseas patient invitation strategy. China, on the other hand, establishes the medical system for emergency medical treatment and preventive treatment of major diseases and promotes overseas expansion of TCM service. In addition, Korea stressed the safety and distribution of herbal medicine, and China emphasizes production technologies. Korea has a strong medical device industry along with the government's fostering policy; however, in China, medical devices are in the R&D stage yet. Even though both countries promotes the drug development from natural products, Korea focuses on developing herbal cosmetics in application industry, but China shows weakness in policies on application industry. China shores up the foundation for culture and theory of traditional medicine, while Korea doesn't have related policy. Korea places emphasis on promoting collaboration with international organizations and medical volunteer programs, whereas China is more interested in mutual cooperation and real trade with other countries.