Demand for CAM Practice at Hospitals in Japan: A Population Survey in Mie Prefecture
2011

Demand for CAM Practice at Hospitals in Japan

Sample size: 2824 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Togo Toshihiro, Urata Shigeru, Sawazaki Kenta, Sakuraba Hinata, Ishida Torao, Yokoyama Kazuhito

Primary Institution: Tokyo Ariake University of Medical and Health Sciences

Hypothesis

What is the demand for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice at hospitals in Japan?

Conclusion

There is a high demand for CAM practice at hospitals in Japan, particularly for therapies like Kampo and acupuncture, with patients wanting physician oversight.

Supporting Evidence

  • 71.5% of respondents expressed a desire for CAM practice at hospitals.
  • The most popular CAM therapies requested were Kampo, acupressure/massage/Shiatsu, and acupuncture/moxibustion.
  • Demand for CAM was higher among females and those aged 40-59 years.
  • Respondents with poor health status showed higher demand for CAM.
  • Many respondents preferred CAM therapies to be administered under physician guidance.

Takeaway

Many people in Japan want to use alternative medicine like acupuncture at hospitals, especially if doctors are involved.

Methodology

A questionnaire was mailed to 10,000 adults in Mie Prefecture, with 2,824 responses collected.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to low response rate and geographical limitations of the sample.

Limitations

The study had a low response rate and did not gather information on non-respondents or the seriousness of respondents' illnesses.

Participant Demographics

Participants were adults aged 20 and above from Mie Prefecture, with varied sociodemographic characteristics.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1093/ecam/neq049

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