Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia.
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Connaught Teaching Hospital Freetown, First floor Administrative Building, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
BMC Complement Med Ther. 2020 May 6;20(1):137. doi: 10.1186/s12906-020-02931-6.
Considerable number of patients, including Ebola survivors, in Sierra Leone, are using traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM). Healthcare providers' (HCPs) views about T&CM is crucial in addressing the increased need for T&CM among patients. However, healthcare providers' views about T&CM in Sierra Leone is unknown. Our study explores healthcare providers' knowledge of and perception towards T&CM and how that influence their personal and professional T&CM use, communication with Ebola survivors about T&CM as well as its integration into the healthcare system in Sierra Leone.
We employed a qualitative exploratory study design using semi-structured interviews to collect data from 15 conveniently sampled HCPs in all four geographical regions of Sierra Leone. We analysed our data using thematic network analysis framework.
Healthcare providers perceived their knowledge about T&CM to be low and considered T&CM to be less effective and less safe than conventional medicine as well as not evidence-based. HCPs perception of T&CM as non-scientific and their lack of knowledge of T&CM were the key barriers to HCPs' self-use and recommendation as well as their lack of detailed discussion about T&CM with Ebola survivors. HCPs are open to T&CM integration into mainstream healthcare in Sierra Leone although at their terms. However, they believe that T&CM integration could be enhanced by effective professional regulation of T&CM practice, and by improving T&CM evidenced-based knowledge through education, training and research.
Changing HCPs' negative perception of and increasing their knowledge about T&CM is critical to promoting effective communication with Ebola survivors regarding T&CM and its integration into the healthcare system in Sierra Leone. Strategies such as educational interventions for HCPs, conducting rigorous T&CM research, proper education and training of T&CM practitioners and effective professional regulation of T&CM practice could help in that direction.
塞拉利昂有相当数量的患者，包括埃博拉幸存者，正在使用传统和补充医学（T&CM）。医疗保健提供者（HCPs）对 T&CM 的看法对于满足患者对 T&CM 的日益增长的需求至关重要。然而，塞拉利昂的医疗保健提供者对 T&CM 的看法尚不清楚。我们的研究探讨了医疗保健提供者对 T&CM 的知识和看法，以及这些看法如何影响他们个人和专业使用 T&CM、与埃博拉幸存者沟通 T&CM 以及将其纳入塞拉利昂医疗保健系统。
我们采用定性探索性研究设计，使用半结构化访谈从塞拉利昂四个地区的 15 名方便抽样的 HCP 中收集数据。我们使用主题网络分析框架分析我们的数据。
医疗保健提供者认为他们对 T&CM 的知识水平较低，认为 T&CM 不如传统医学有效和安全，也没有证据支持。HCPs 对 T&CM 的看法是不科学的，他们对 T&CM 的了解不足，这是 HCPs 自我使用和推荐 T&CM 以及与埃博拉幸存者缺乏详细讨论 T&CM 的主要障碍。HCPs 对 T&CM 纳入塞拉利昂主流医疗保健持开放态度，但前提是符合他们的条件。然而，他们认为可以通过有效规范 T&CM 实践、通过教育、培训和研究提高 T&CM 的循证知识来增强 T&CM 的整合。
改变 HCPs 对 T&CM 的负面看法并增加他们对 T&CM 的了解，对于促进与埃博拉幸存者就 T&CM 进行有效沟通以及将其纳入塞拉利昂医疗保健系统至关重要。为 HCPs 提供教育干预、进行严格的 T&CM 研究、对 T&CM 从业者进行适当的教育和培训以及对 T&CM 实践进行有效规范等策略可能有助于实现这一目标。
