Traditional Korean Medicine Usage and Perception: a comparative study between the general population and the disabilities

Abstract

Objectives This study is a comparative analysis of the satisfaction and recognition characteristics for traditional Korean medicine (TKM) in people with disabilities and the general population of Korea. Methods Here, 5,000 subjects were categorized into two groups based on a disability rating using the data from the 2017 National Survey for the Usage of Korean Medicine. The relationships among the sociodemographic characteristics, TKM usage status, recognition of TKM usage, and recognition of the effectiveness of the TKM treatment were analyzed based on the disease. The response reliability was verified using the chi-square test analysis method. Results Disabilities corresponded with low rates of high school or higher education (44%, 83.5%) and no jobs (56.9%, 33.5%), mostly the status of the low-income class with a monthly household income of < 1,500 USD (50.9%, 10.5%), poor health conditions (55.2%, 9.8%), high chronic disease prevalence rate (69.0%, 19.9%), high medical care rate (11.2%, 0.5%), and low commercial health insurance subscription rate (44%, 74.2%). Furthermore, people with disabilities visited TKM institutions more often (88.8%, 74.1%) with a high frequency TKM usage rate of ≥ 1-2 times a month (26.2%, 15.3%). They also reported that the cost of using the TKM was very high (14.7%, 8.8%) and that primarily the application of insurance benefits should be improved (52.6%, 47.5%). The treatment effectiveness for diseases was high for musculoskeletal disorders for both people with disabilities and the general population. Conclusion Preferential application of insurance benefits for musculoskeletal diseases must be extended to the TKM treatment as well, as people with disabilities have a high recognition for these conditions with TKM. It is difficult to perform randomized controlled trials on people with disability. Therefore, large-scale observational and cohort studies should be conducted. We hope this study will help establish a suitable TKM policy for people with disabilities.

Use of Herbal Decoction and Pharmacopuncture in Individuals with Chronic Disease: findings from a nationally representative panel

“…Musculoskeletal conditions constitute a major associated factor in the use of KM services. The general population recognizes that KM treatments may be effective against musculoskeletal disorders [ 12 ], and the presence of musculoskeletal conditions is associated with more HD or PA use than the use of BT alone. This suggests that perceptions of these non-insured KM treatments for musculoskeletal conditions are likely more favorable.…”

“…According to a previous study, the number of chronic conditions has a significant positive relationship with KM healthcare utilization [ 11 ]. Additionally, the presence of a disability closely related to chronic disease is also associated with the frequent use of KM services [ 12 ]. These studies indicate that KM plays a crucial role in managing chronic diseases and suggest the need for insurance coverage for KM treatment in the context of chronic disease management [ 12 ].…”