The Utilization of Medical Devices by Traditional Korean Medicine Doctors Investigated through Traditional Korean Medicine Clinical Studies

Abstract

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of modern medical devices utilized in diagnosis and treatment in traditional Korean medicine (TKM). Methods We searched the following six Korean electronic databases to collect TKM clinical studies that were published in a five-year period (January 2012 to December 2016). Clinical studies of TKM when medical devices were used for diagnosis or treatment were investigated. Results The search generated a total of 3,735 articles, and 1,328 of these were considered to be clinical studies. Of a total of 1,328 clinical studies of TKM, 774 articles (58.3%) used medical devices for diagnosis or treatment, and 554 articles (41.7%) did not use medical devices for diagnosis or treatment. The three most used diagnostic devices were as follows: MRI scanners, which were used in 194 (20.6%) studies; X-ray machines, which were used in 172 studies (18.3%); and CT scanners, which were used in 139 studies (14.8%). The three most used treatment devices were electroacupuncture equipment (20.3%), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) equipment (18.4%), and interferential current therapy (ICT) equipment (16.4%). Conclusions This study suggests that TKM doctors use diagnostic information derived from modern medical devices clinically. It is therefore necessary to institutionalize considering changes to the medical acts of traditional medicine (TM) doctors. Additionally, this information can be utilized as a reference for developing TM policy and education.

Oral Chinese patent medicines for acute myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis

“…[33] At present, oral Chinese patent medicine has been widely used in the clinical treatment of AMI after PCI in East and Southeast Asia. [34,35]…”

“…[33] At present, oral Chinese patent medicine has been widely used in the clinical treatment of AMI after PCI in East and Southeast Asia. [34,35] At present, there have been systematic reviews on the effectiveness and safety of single oral Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of AMI after PCI. [36,37] However, the increasing variety of oral Chinese patent medicines means that the comparison between the 2 oral Chinese patent medicines is more complicated.…”