Substitutes or complements? Diagnosis and treatment with non-conventional and conventional medicine

Abstract

Background: Portugal has a strong tradition of conventional western healthcare. So it provides a natural case study for the relationship between Complementary/Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Western Medicine (WM). This work aims to test the relationship between CAM and WM users in the diagnosis and treatment stages and to estimate the determinants of CAM choice. Methods: The forth Portuguese National Health Survey is employed to estimate two single probit models and obtain the correlation between the consumption of CAM and WM medicines in the diagnosis and treatment stages. Results: Firstly, both in the diagnosis and the treatment stage, CAM and WM are seen to be complementary choices for individuals. Secondly, self-medication also shows complementarity with the choice of CAM treatment. Thirdly, education has a non-linear relationship with the choice of CAM. Finally, working status, age, smoking and chronic disease are determinant factors in the decision to use CAM. Conclusion:The results of this work are relevant to health policy-makers and for insurance companies. Patients need freedom of choice and, for the sake of safety and efficacy of treatment, WM and CAM healthcare ought to be provided in a joint and integrated health system.

The Provision and Utilization of Traditional Korean Medicine in South Korea: Implications on Integration of Traditional Medicine in a Developed Country

“…Patients with non-MRD might visit TKM facilities as they are not satisfied with treatment outcomes in CM rather than preferentially utilizing TKM [22]. Under this logic, TKM might function as to complement, not to substitute [23], although TKM has independent medical authority as medical professionals in Korea. Moreover, the TKM and HM industries have been replaced with health supplements and home medical equipment industries [24,25].…”

Portuguese Health System, an Overview and a SWOT Review

“…Complementary and alternative medicine are often used by people who pay for it in full, but this is very often not reported because of the social and medical taboos around these medicines [25].…”

New Scope for Research in Traditional and Non-conventional Medicine Comment on "Substitutes or Complements? Diagnosis and Treatment with Non-conventional and Conventional Medicine"

“…Again, it might be useful to explore the motivations underlying the professional fragmentation typical of most CAM, in order to understand the career expectations and patterns inside practitioner groups, the professional training processes open to the various members of professional communities, especially focusing on the transition from CAM trainee to CAM professional. 5 Such research might also help define the pathways for training and legitimising professionals whilst prioritising quality of treatment 1 and enlisting university support. One further important ambit of research is the process of including and accepting CAM within the various health and Medicare systems, 6 as well as the contribution CAM may make to rendering such systems sustainable, especially at a juncture such as the present where the lingering economic crisis dating from 2008 conceals an epoch-marking cultural change and a steep increase in health inequalities.…”