A Study on Opinions of Oriental Medical Doctors in Introducing New Specialties in Oriental Medicine

한방 전문과목 추가신설에 대한 한의사들의 인식 조사

This study was conducted to identify the needs of introducing new medical specialties in oriental medicine. Three stakeholders in introducing new oriental medical specialties are oriental medical doctors, policy makers and medical consumers. Of the three, this study intended to focus on opinions of oriental medical doctors. About 1,150 self-administered questionaries were sent to the potential respondents, 320 specialists, 250 interns & residents and 580 private oriental medicine practitioners, and 480 doctors responded. The study revealed that 62% of respondents showed negative attitudes towards the introduction of new oriental medicine specialties. The private oriental medical practitioners were more likely not in favor of adding new medical boardmanship. The reasons of objection were as follows : First, it is more important to enrich the existing oriental medical boardmanship (70%). Second, the newly established specialties are most likely to be weakened(15%). The study revealed that the first and most likely specialties to be introduced was Chuna(18%), subspecialization of oriental internal medicine (15.8%), the next oriental family medicine (15.1%) and so on. And the second specialties to be desired most by the respondents were (1) cooperative medicine between the westem and oriental medicine (28%), (2) oriental preventive medicine (17.4%) and (3) oriental family medicine (16.8%). Caution must be exercised in introducing new oriental medicine specialties. The failures of western medicine in the operation of its specialist production should carefully by examined here.