STUDY DESIGN: A sub-analysis of data from a prevalence study of medication-related visits among patients at the ED of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia was conducted. The study took place over a period of six weeks from December 2014 to January 2015 involving 434 eligible patients. Data on demography, conventional medication, and TCM uses were collected from patient interview and the medical folders.
RESULTS: Among this cohort, 66 patients (15.2%, 95%CI 12.0, 19.0) reported concurrent TCM use. Sixteen (24.2%) of the TCM users were using more than one (1) type of TCM, and 17 (25.8%) came to the ED for medication-related reasons. Traditional Malay Medicine (TMM) was the most frequently used TCM by the patients. Five patients (7.6%) sought treatment at the ED for medical problems related to use of TCM.
CONCLUSION: Patients seeking medical care at the ED may be currently using TCM. ED-physicians should be aware of these therapies and should always ask patients about the TCM use.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.
SETTING: Self-administered online survey was carried out between January and June 2021 in China.
RESULTS: A total of 1132 complete responses were received from a nationwide sample. A considerable proportion viewed TCM to be more effective than Western medicine for treating COVID-19 (67.1 %) and stated that it is safer to use TCM (63.5 %) and easier to access TCM for treating COVID-19 (63.5 %). A total of 16.4 % (95 %CI 14.3-18.7) reported ever self-medicating with TCM to resolve COVID-19 symptoms and 12.2 % (95 % CI 10.3-14.2) ever using TCM to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Lianhua Qingwen capsule/granule (53.2 %), Ganmao granule (50.5 %) and Banlangen granule (44.6 %) were most commonly used to resolve COVID-19 symptoms whereas Banlangen granule (60.1 %) was commonly used for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Older age participants, from rural areas, with chronic diseases, higher socioeconomic status, and a positive attitude towards TCM were more likely to self-medicate using TCM to resolve COVID-19 symptoms.
CONCLUSION: Self-medication with TCM during the COVID-19 pandemic for symptom control or prevention is prevalent. The findings of the user behavioural profile and types of TMCs commonly used in this study provide beneficial information for the development of strategies to improve public health-seeking behaviour and the performance of the country's healthcare system in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method: The participants of this study (N=36) were registered for a bachelor's degree program in TCM in 2016 and enrolled in the Science of Acupuncture and Moxibustion course beginning in September 2018. The students were randomly allocated into two groups: PBL group and conventional group. A self-administered learning satisfaction survey and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scores were used for data collection. An independent sample t-test was used to compare the results between the two groups. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The results of the learning satisfaction survey and Rosenberg Self-Esteem scores were significantly better in the PBL group than in the conventional group (p<0.05).
Conclusions: PBL appears to be more effective for clinical acupuncture education than the conventional teaching method. However, further studies are needed to identify the mechanisms by which PBL excels in clinical acupuncture education, as well as other related TCM fields.