Wu Amy P W, Burke Adam, LeBaron Samuel
Center for Education in Family and Community Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Mod H, Stanford, CA 94305-5408, USA.
Fam Med. 2007 Mar;39(3):195-200.
Chinese immigrants constitute the largest group of foreign-born Asians living in the United States. Knowledge of their use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is limited. A survey was conducted to determine their TCM use and to evaluate physician awareness of these practices.
Structured interviews were conducted with 198 Chinese immigrant patients, and a survey was administered to 17 physicians in two federally funded community health clinics.
Nearly 100% of the patients had used TCM during the previous year, mostly for musculoskeletal or abdominal pain, fatigue, and health maintenance. Self-medication with herbal products was the most common (93% at least once, 43% weekly). A smaller number (23%) had used herbs prescribed by a TCM provider. Use of acupuncture was less common (14%), although higher than the national average. Most patients indicated a preference to consult Western physicians for acute infections. Only 5% reported that their physicians had ever asked about their use of TCM. By contrast, 77% of physicians reported that they "usually or sometimes" asked about TCM use.
Results suggest that these patients used TCM, primarily self-prescribed over-the-counter herbal preparations, for many health problems. Information about use was not shared with their physicians, nor did patients perceive their doctors as soliciting sufficient information on TCM use. Physician education in this area may be warranted.
华裔移民是居住在美国的外国出生亚洲人中最大的群体。对他们使用传统中医（TCM）的了解有限。开展了一项调查以确定他们对中医的使用情况，并评估医生对这些疗法的认知。
对198名华裔移民患者进行了结构化访谈，并对两家联邦资助的社区健康诊所的17名医生进行了一项调查。
近100%的患者在前一年使用过中医，主要用于治疗肌肉骨骼或腹部疼痛、疲劳以及维持健康。自行服用草药产品最为常见（至少一次的比例为93%，每周服用的比例为43%）。少数人（23%）使用过中医从业者开的草药。针灸的使用不太常见（14%），尽管高于全国平均水平。大多数患者表示，急性感染时更倾向于咨询西医。只有5%的患者报告称他们的医生曾询问过他们对中医的使用情况。相比之下，77%的医生报告称他们“通常或有时”会询问中医的使用情况。
结果表明，这些患者使用中医，主要是自行开非处方草药制剂，来解决许多健康问题。他们没有与医生分享使用中医的信息，患者也不认为医生会主动询问足够多的中医使用信息。在这一领域对医生进行教育可能很有必要。
