Lă'au lapa'au and Western medicine in Hawai'i: experiences and perspectives of patients who use both.

Using qualitative methods, we examined 12 patients' experiences with combining lă'au lapa'au (Hawaiian herbal healing) and Western medicine. Participants felt a higher degree of connectedness and understanding in their relationship with their healer than with their physician, and they felt that healers took more time to listen and clearly explain diagnoses. Lă'au lapa'au was more likely than Western medicine to incorporate a spiritual and prayer component, lead to improvements in cultural and personal identity, and foster feelings of connectedness to the land and Hawaiian values.