A study on traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) usage among malaysian cancer patients
Journal Title: International Journal of Allied Medical Sciences and Clinical Research - Year 2014, Vol 2, Issue 3
Abstract
Background Usage of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) has gained popularity over the past few years. However, very little is known about TCAM utilization among Malaysian cancer patients. Aim This study aims to identify the determinants of TCAM usage. Objectives This study intends to determine the relationship between the cancer patients’ demographic factors, patient’s satisfaction with conventional treatment, knowledge on TCAM and healthcare professional’s influence on TCAM usage. Patient’s perceptions towards TCAM will also be determined. Methodology Simple random and convenient sampling method was used to recruit 354 patients from Hospital Kuala Lumpur between February to April 2013. All patients were directly interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Results In this study, 172 respondents were TCAM users. There were no significant differences between demographic background of respondents in the use of TCAM using ANOVA. Minimal correlation was found between patient’s satisfaction with the conventional treatment and usage of TCAM (r = 0.091). Poor correlation was found between healthcare professional’s influence and TCAM usage (r = -0.213) indicating an increase in healthcare professional’s influence will cause TCAM usage by cancer patients to decrease. Patient’s TCAM knowledge correlated negatively with the TCAM usage (r = -0.555) indicated that cancer patients are less likely to use TCAM when they have more TCAM knowledge. Conclusion Healthcare professionals should be fully equipped with the necessary TCAM knowledge while maintaining patient’s satisfaction with the conventional treatment. They should also intervene patients’ TCAM usage where a potential drug interaction or a harmful adverse event can occur.
Authors and Affiliations
Nagarajan Srinivasan
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP420577
- DOI -
- Views 54
- Downloads 0
4-chloro-6-methoxy-2-styryl quinoline, its synthesis and antibacterial activity
P-anisidine on treatment with ethyl aceto acetate in refluxing ethanol for 4hrs gave Ethyl-3-[4-methoxyphenyl) imino] butanol which is on thermal cyclization in hot propylene glycol at 1000c gave 4-hydroxy-6-methoxy-2-me...
Association of susceptibility to eating behavior with hemoglobin concentration in females
Background There is an increase in the prevalence of eating disorders in developing countries including India. Young females were reported to be at risk of eating disorders. Hematological complications including anemia w...
A study to assess the effectiveness of paced breathing versus back massage for labour pain among antenatal mothers during labour process
Introduction Labour pain is unique and induces a type of acute pain. Pain associated with labour was accepted as a necessary part of child birth. The concept of painless childbirth gave rise to many scientific discoveri...
Chronic eosinophilic leukemia – Not otherwise specified with literature review
Chronic eosinophilic leukemia not otherwise specified (CEL NOS) is a rare disorder with hypereosinophilia and an increased number of blood or bone marrow blasts (<20%) or an evidence of eosinophilic clonality. It constit...
An overview on dietary supplements during pregnancy: A review
A woman has to go through nine month long journey and faces many ups and down in this journey. In many developing countries, complication of pregnancy and child birth are the leading cause of death among women of reprodu...