National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Royal University of Bhutan, Thimphu, Bhutan.
J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2011 Jan 10;7:3. doi: 10.1186/1746-4269-7-3.
Many claims are made that the use of traditional medicine is a substantial and growing part of healthcare behavior around the world. In Bhutan traditional medical practice is one of the country's tangible heritages. The country hosts two forms of traditional medicines: local healing practices and the official traditional medical system known as sowa rigpa, meaning "the science of healing". This paper explores the attitudes on sowa rigpa among Bhutanese living in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.
This study was conducted from May to September 2009. In total, 155 people coming from diverse social backgrounds were randomly selected for the study. The study made use of qualitative as well as quantitative approaches, involving the administration of questionnaires and conducting in-depth interviews.
From the 155 respondents 99% have heard about sowa rigpa, mainly from their friends or relatives. The study showed that sowa rigpa is popular among the respondents since more than half (51%) have said that they have been treated by sowa rigpa doctors. The data revealed that the majority (83%) of the respondents are satisfied with the treatment received.
The Bhutanese healthcare system that integrates sowa rigpa and modern medicine offers an opportunity for active healthcare decision-making by the patients. The improved understanding of the knowledge, attitudes and treatment seeking practices of the participants in the study provides useful information for health practitioners and policy makers to plan health activities. The present preliminary study represents only people living in the capital city of Bhutan. Therefore, a further nationwide study is planned to better understand the role sowa rigpa plays also in rural Bhutan.
许多人声称，传统医学的使用是全球医疗保健行为中一个重要且不断增长的部分。在不丹，传统医学实践是该国有形遗产之一。该国拥有两种形式的传统医学：当地的治疗实践和官方的传统医学体系，称为“苏瓦里加帕”，意思是“治愈科学”。本文探讨了不丹首都廷布的不丹人对“苏瓦里加帕”的态度。
这项研究于 2009 年 5 月至 9 月进行。总共有 155 名来自不同社会背景的人被随机选中参加这项研究。该研究采用了定性和定量方法，包括问卷调查和深入访谈。
在 155 名受访者中，99%听说过“苏瓦里加帕”，主要是从朋友或亲戚那里听说的。研究表明，“苏瓦里加帕”在受访者中很受欢迎，因为超过一半（51%）的人说他们曾接受过“苏瓦里加帕”医生的治疗。数据显示，大多数（83%）受访者对所接受的治疗感到满意。
不丹将“苏瓦里加帕”和现代医学相结合的医疗体系为患者积极参与医疗决策提供了机会。对研究参与者的知识、态度和治疗寻求行为的深入了解，为卫生工作者和政策制定者规划卫生活动提供了有用的信息。本初步研究仅代表不丹首都廷布的居民。因此，计划进行进一步的全国性研究，以更好地了解“苏瓦里加帕”在不丹农村地区所扮演的角色。
