The Use of Alternative Medicines of Patients that come Medical Department in Surin Province

Abstract

Background: The active trend in using alternative medicine is increasing which is partly due to the searching or the advice from closed friends. The alternative medicine is an unconventional medical treatment. Surin people have been using and studying alternative medicine for a long time
Objective: The researchers are interested to study the use of alternative medicine, the cause and the result to plan and disseminate the right information to the patients.
Setting: Medical Department InSurin Province
Research design: The methodology of the study is the survey research.
Patients: The population is the general patients in the hospital in Surin, They have experience in alternative medicine. They are over 15 years old. The population includes 1,090 patients. The data is collected in Surin hospital amount 250 patients and community hospital amount 70 patients.
Methods: The tool of the study is the interview form consisting of general information, alternative medicine experience, the reason and the result. The interview form is examined by three academic people. The data, the general information and the kind of alternative medicine are analyzed by frequency and percentage. The summary from the open-ended questions about the reason and the result are explained and presented.
Result: There were 1,090 patients, female 56.2%, age 31-40 years old 26%, married 72%, primary graduation 81.25%, Buddhist 100%, golden card holder 55%, income 0-5, 000 Baht 69%, constant disease of the patients is arthritis. The kind of alternative medicine is :herb 24.2%, massage 16.9%, praying 12%, chanting 11%, seeing monks 9.6%, meditation 6%, vitamin intake 5.6%, holy ritual 5.2% and supplementary diet intake 4.7%.
Conclusion: Therefore, there should be a strong campaign about using herb in the future.