Postgraduate education of traditional Japanese (Kampo) medicine: a current survey on the training hospitals in Kanagawa prefecture.

OBJECTIVE

There is no precise survey of postgraduate Kampo education in Japan. We aimed to survey the current status of postgraduate Kampo education and to identify major problems and suggest solutions to promote Kampo education during internship.

METHODS

The questionnaire, for the 58 training hospitals, including the 4 university hospitals, in Kanagawa prefecture, was mailed to the director of each hospital and the instructors responsible for clinical training.

RESULTS

There were 49 responses (84%): 84% of the instructors recognized clinicians' need to prescribe Kampo medicine; 63% thought Kampo education should be introduced into the clinical training; 55% thought a standardized form of education was necessary; 14% had Kampo education programs; 69%, 13%, and 9% of instructors at hospitals without Kampo educational programs noted the lack of Kampo instructors, time, and need to teach Kampo medicine, respectively; 82% had no plans for Kampo education; 44%, 29%, 24%, and 5% of hospitals permitted future Kampo instruction through voluntary study, lectures sponsored by Kampo manufacturers, study sessions with other hospitals, and independent study, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Kampo education should be introduced into large training hospitals, where qualified Kampo instructors are more easily found, and where many interns and residents work.