관절염 환자의 민속요법이용 형태 = Utilization Patterns of Herb Medicine in Patients with Arthritis

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This sty was undertaken to explore the utilization patterns of medical treatment and herb medicine in patients with arthrits.
The data were collected from 995 patients who were registered either in a center of rheumatology or resided in community with arthritis. The data were analyzed by percentile, t-test and chi-square test using SAS PC program.
The results of this study were as follows;
1. According to characteristics of sample-population, mean age was 57.7 years, duration of arthritis 9.7 years and mean duration of pain 2.4 hours per day at present.
2. First diagnosis was identified at department of orthopedic surgery or local clinic. But 85.2% of patients have transferred to the center of reumatology currently. But ironically over 70% of patients experienced the herb treatment and herb treatment had hern medicine simultaneous with medical treatment. This indicated that they were shopping around of treatment during the first one year.
3. Mean cost of medical treatment was 67,400 won, while they payed to herb medicine as much as two or three times. The utilization rate of herb medicine was 36.5% of patients per one year. Costs of herb-treatment were 182,000 Won and herb medicine was 36.6% of patients per one year. Costs of herb -treatment were 182,000 Won and herb medicine 149,100 Won.
4. Eighty point six percent of patients were experienced herb medicine during life-time. One hundred and seventy four kinds herb medicine were found to be used by patients, most of which were nutrients, muscle relaxants, andtiphlogistics and analgesics. Thirty two point six percent of users recognized that herb medicine were effective but 51.7% did not.
In conclusion, arthritis patients have been experienced various kinds of drug and remedies for treatment. And they wasted their limited medical and economical resources on these unresonable remedies.
Therefore, they should be guided for wise decision about treatment. Futher studies in nursing will be required to explore the value system of patients about herb medicine, the determinant factors of shopping-around patterns of treatment, and the coping mechanism for chronic pain or aggravating symptom.