Disclosure of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Use and Its Associated Factors to Medical Doctor in Primary Care Clinics in Kuching Division, Sarawak, Malaysia

Abstract

The decision by the patients to disclose traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) use to their doctor is an important area to be explored. This study aimed to determine the disclosure of TCM use and its associated factors to medical doctor among primary care clinic attendees in Kuching Division, Sarawak. It was a cross-sectional study using questionnaire, interviewer administered questionnaire. A total of 1130 patients were screened with 80.2% reporting using TCM. Logistic regression analysis revealed that being female (AOR = 3.219, 95% CI: 1.385, 7.481), perceived benefits that TCM can prevent complication of illness (AOR = 3.999, 95% CI: 1.850, 8.644) and that TCM is more gentle and safer (AOR = 4.537, 95% CI: 2.332, 8.828), perceived barriers of not having enough knowledge about TCM (AOR = 0.530, 95% CI: 0.309, 0.910), patient dissatisfaction towards healthcare providers being too business-like and impersonal (AOR = 0.365, 95% CI: 0.199, 0.669) and paying more for healthcare than one can afford (AOR = 0.413, 95% CI: 0.250, 0.680), and accessibility of doctors (AOR = 3.971, 95% CI: 2.245, 7.023) are the predictors of disclosure of TCM use. An open communication between patients and doctor is important to ensure safe implementation and integration of both TCM and medical treatment.

Patient’s Decision to Disclose the Use of Traditional and Complementary Medicine to Medical Doctor: A Descriptive Phenomenology Study

“…Participants who fit the inclusion criteria for selection of participants which were being Malaysian, being 18 years of age or older, using at least one type of T&CM [ 14 ] for the past 12 months, and attending outpatient department of three selected primary healthcare clinics were approached prior to this study in our pervious quantitative study [ 10 ]. Those participants who had agreed to participate in this current study during the previous study [ 10 ] were selected via purposive sampling. The recruitment of participants was continued until the saturation point was reached at 10th interview and no new information was obtained from the subsequent interviews [ 15 ].…”

“…The review of the existing literature on T&CM disclosure estimates was relatively low globally (between 7.6% and 48.2%) and Malaysian studies showed almost similar scenario in which the nondisclosure rate was as low as 25% and as high as 90.4% [ 4 – 10 ]. Hence, this lack of discussion may indicate a deficiency in patient-conventional healthcare professional relations and could have a negative impact on patient care and outcome [ 11 ].…”

“…In Malaysia, particularly in multiethnic-multicultural areas like Sarawak, though many studies have investigated the determinants of T&CM use as well as the decision to disclose the T&CM use, few have explored in depth the factors that determine the disclosure of T&CM use to the medical doctor. In continuation of our quantitative studies on the determinant of T&CM disclosure, this qualitative study was conducted in order to explore participants' views in more depth and provide additional insight [ 10 ]. Thus, this study aimed to explore the experience and views of primary care clinic attendees in Kuching Division, Sarawak, in relation to their decision to disclose the use of T&CM to the medical doctor.…”

Complementary and alternative medicine: Pharmacovigilance in Malaysia and predictors of serious adverse reactions

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) 2014 statistics reported that in Europe, over 100 million people use CAM with one-fifth of Europeans being regular users, 3 whereas in China, CAM accounts for approximately 40% of all health care delivered. 1 CAM is also widely used in Malaysia [4][5][6] with an out-of-pocket spending of about USD85.8 million in 2016, an increase of 33% from USD64.2 million in 1997. 7 CAM products are often perceived as being natural with the common assumption that it is completely safe and harmless, 6,8,9 although some CAM are clearly not.…”

“…1 CAM is also widely used in Malaysia [4][5][6] with an out-of-pocket spending of about USD85.8 million in 2016, an increase of 33% from USD64.2 million in 1997. 7 CAM products are often perceived as being natural with the common assumption that it is completely safe and harmless, 6,8,9 although some CAM are clearly not. 10,11 Nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and allergic reactions have been attributed to CAM, 12,13 and some CAM substances have caused cancer and death.…”