종합병원에 입원한 암 환자들의 보완대체의학의 사용 = Complementary/Alternative Medicine Use of the Admitted Cancer Patients to A General Hospital

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Background Oncologists are aware that their patients use complementary/alternative medicine (CAM). As cancer incidence rates and survival time increase, use of CAM will likely increase. This study assessed the prevalence and predictors of CAM use in the K General Hospital located in Busan area.
Method Subjects were cancer patients at least 18 years of age, hospitalizing at the K General Hospital located in Busan, Korea, between April 7, 2003 and April 14. 2003. After explaining this study in every room, a self-administered questionnaire was given, cancer patients completed a self-administered questionnaire. The completed questionnaires were collected after 4 hours. Differences between CAM users and nonusers were assessed by [chi]2 and univariate logistic regression analysis. A multivariate logistic regression model identified the simultaneous impact of demographic, and treatment variables on CAM use; P values were two-sided.
Results Of the 141 participants (response rate, 43.8%), 49.6% had heard of CAM. Of those, 32.6% was using at least one CAM approach. Use was greatest for vitamins and herbs (75.9%), spiritual practices (41.2%), diet therapies (38.4%), and movement and physical therapies (26%) and predicted (P＜.05) by chemotherapy.
Conclusion It is necessary for the patients to be holistically approached as human being with disease not as disease itself. If the patients use various complementary and alternative medicines(CAM) and it help the patients to cope with disease and increase psychological stability, it has to be received. The physicians have need of knowing about CAM in order to take counsel with the patients when they want to know about it.