Korean Journal of Acupuncture

Society for Meridian and Acupoint (경락경혈학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Perceptions and Experiences of Acupuncture among Expatriates Living in Korea: A Qualitative Study

국내 거주 외국인의 침 치료 경험과 한의학에 대한 인식: 질적연구

  • Lee, Seungmin Kathy (Korean Medicine Science Research Center, Pusan National University) ;
  • Park, Inhyo (School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University) ;
  • Miller, David B. (Jack, Joseph, & Morton Mandel School of Allied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University) ;
  • Lee, Sangjae (Department of Longevity and Biofunctional Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University)
  • Received : 2020.09.15
  • Accepted : 2020.09.22
  • Published : 2020.09.27
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Objectives : In this study, we conducted a focus group interview among expatriates living in Korea, to investigate their experiences and perceptions of acupuncture and Korean Medicine in order to improve the usage of Korean Medicine in the medical tourism market. Methods : The inclusion criteria for the focus group interview was: (1) participants between the age of 20 to 75 years old; (2) those who had lived in Korea for more than 90 days, and (3) those who were able to express their thoughts freely in English. The participants were informed that the interviews will be recorded and transcribed. We ended recruitment once saturation of materials was met. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data was analyzed after each interview. Results : The interviews were held between June to December 2016. Twenty-four participants were recruited but four dropped out and a total of twenty participants successfully finished the interviews. Six focus group interviews were conducted. Analysis revealed that Korean Medicine was relatively less known compared to Traditional Chinese Medicine or Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Participants automatically associated acupuncture with the management of pain or stress and replied that these were the areas that they thought acupuncture would be most effective. Positive experiences with acupuncture and with the acupuncture practitioners were factors that promoted the use of acupuncture whereas lack of awareness, accessibility and accreditation were factors that hindered its use. Other factors that hindered the use of acupuncture was needle phobia and the perception that acupuncture lacks scientific evidence. Conclusions : Awareness on Korean Medicine and acupuncture is low. Participants lack awareness on what diseases acupuncture can treat, the scientific evidence behind the mechanism of action, and the rigorous education system that Korean Medicine doctors must go through to get their license. Rigorous marketing should be encouraged, which includes greater exposure in the media, more honest reviews from patients, and promotion of the scientific evidence base.

Keywords

References

  1. WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019.
  2. Lee T. The integration of Korean medicine in South Korea. Acupunct Med. 2015 ; 33(2) : 96-7. https://doi.org/10.1136/acupmed-2015-010796
  3. Park HL, Lee HS, Shin BC, Liu JP, Shang Q, Yamashita H, et al. Traditional Medicine in China, Korea, and Japan: A Brief Introduction and Comparison. Evid Complement Altern Med. 2012 ; 2012 : 429103. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/429103
  4. Jones CA, Keith LG. Medical tourism and reproductive outsourcing: the dawning of a new paradigm for healthcare. Int J Fertil Womens Med. 2006 ; 51(6) : 251-5.
  5. MacReady N. Developing countries court medical tourists. Lancet. 2007 ; 369(9576) : 1849-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(07)60833-2
  6. Introduction of Korean International Medical Association. Retrieved October 31 2011. Available from: URL: http://www.koreahealthtour.co.kr/en/page.jsp?mcode=1010101.
  7. Korea Health Industry Development Institute. 2011 Statistics on International Patients in Korea. Seoul : Korea Health Industry Development Institute. 2013 : 1-41.
  8. Yoon SY, Lee JG, Ryu SW. Influencing Factors to Preference of Medical Tourism Products of Japanese Tourists. Korean J Hosp Manag. 2010 ; 15(4) : 165-90.
  9. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea Tourism Organization. Korea Medical Tourism overview 2012. Korea Tourism Organization. 2011 : 14-66.
  10. Cho HW, Choi BH, Park HK, Kim HJ, Yoo JS. Research on the Construction of Oriental Medicine Treatment Vitalization for Foreign Patients. Kor J Oriental Preventive Medical Society. 2012 ; 16(3) : 75-87.
  11. Jun JY, Nam JH, Lee MJ, Kim KW, Lim SJ, Lee CW, et al. Research on Ways to Attract Foreign Patients Based on Analysis of Foreign Patients Who Visited Hospital of Korean Medicine. J Acupunct Res. 2013 ; 30(4) : 107-14. https://doi.org/10.13045/acupunct.2013027
  12. Choi JH, Kang S, You CH, Kwon YD. The determinants of choosing Traditional Korean Medicine or conventional medicine: findings from the Korea Health Panel. Evid Complement Altern Med. 2015 ; 2015 : 147408. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/147408
  13. Krueger RA, Casey MA. Focus groups: a practical guide for applied research 5th ed. London. Sage: 2015.
  14. Guest G, MacQueen KM, Namey EE. Applied thematic analysis. London. Sage: 2012.
  15. McDonald J, Janz S. The Acupuncture Evidence Project: A Comparative Literature Review. Brisbane: Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd; 2017.
  16. Ma Y, Dong M, Zhou K, Mita C, Liu J, Wayne P. Publication Trends in Acupuncture Research: A 20-Year Bibliometric Analysis Based on PubMed. PLoS One. 2016 Dec 14 ; 11(12) : e0168123. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168123
  17. NIH Consensus Conference. Acupuncture. JAMA. 1998 ; 280(17) : 1518-24. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.280.17.1518
  18. Shih CC, Liao CC, Su YC, Tsai CC, Lin JG. Gender differences in Traditional Chinese Medicine use among adults in Taiwan. PLoS One. 2012 ;7(4) :e32540. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0032540
  19. Zhang Y, Lao L, Chen H, Ceballos R. Acupuncture use among American adults: what acupuncture practitioners can learn from national health interview survey 2007? Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012 ; 2012 : 710750. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/710750