Hung-Chi Lue1, Yi-Chang Su2, Sunny Jui-Shan Lin3, Yi-Chia Huang4, Yung-Hsien Chang5, I-Hsin Lin6, Sze-Piao Yang7. 1. National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 10051, Taiwan; Chinese Medical Advancement Foundation, Taipei 10041, Taiwan. Electronic address: hclue@ccft.org.tw. 2. Chinese Medical Advancement Foundation, Taipei 10041, Taiwan; School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan; National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei 11221, Taiwan. 3. Chinese Medical Advancement Foundation, Taipei 10041, Taiwan; School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan; Department of Chinese Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan. 4. Chinese Medical Advancement Foundation, Taipei 10041, Taiwan; Department of Chinese Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan. 5. Chinese Medical Advancement Foundation, Taipei 10041, Taiwan. 6. School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 97004, Taiwan. 7. National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 10051, Taiwan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine have coexisted since 1958 in Taiwan. Integrative traditional Chinese and western medicine (TC&WM) remains to be studied and promoted. In response to the documentary report of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002-2005, the present study was planned and carried out. METHODS: During 2004-2008, 19 integrative TC&WM dialogue forums were held, in which 219 TC&WM scholars and professionals participated by invitation. The proceedings of the forums in Chinese were published. A study team was organized in 2009 to collect the consensus opinions, utilizing a Delphi method. The opinions collected were discussed in an international TC&WM forum held on November 1, 2014. RESULTS: The opinions of TC&WM experts and professionals on the integrative issues and values were quite divergent. Of the 39 integrative issues, 34 (87.8%) reached consensus, agreeing that WM is excellent in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases/disorders, yet is still evolving, and not perfect without defects. TCM is patient-centered, wellness-oriented, inadequate for acute, critical and life-threatening diseases, but has a complementary and alternative role to WM. Of the 44 diseases/disorders, 36 (81.8%) reached consensus, worthy for integrative clinical use or trials. CONCLUSIONS: Integrative TC&WM, combining the best features of two systems, could be a most useful and advanced healthcare medicine in the future, requiring development of regulations and guidelines for the use of TCM and more rigorous efforts have to be made in clinical trials.
BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine have coexisted since 1958 in Taiwan. Integrative traditional Chinese and western medicine (TC&WM) remains to be studied and promoted. In response to the documentary report of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2002-2005, the present study was planned and carried out. METHODS: During 2004-2008, 19 integrative TC&WM dialogue forums were held, in which 219 TC&WM scholars and professionals participated by invitation. The proceedings of the forums in Chinese were published. A study team was organized in 2009 to collect the consensus opinions, utilizing a Delphi method. The opinions collected were discussed in an international TC&WM forum held on November 1, 2014. RESULTS: The opinions of TC&WM experts and professionals on the integrative issues and values were quite divergent. Of the 39 integrative issues, 34 (87.8%) reached consensus, agreeing that WM is excellent in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases/disorders, yet is still evolving, and not perfect without defects. TCM is patient-centered, wellness-oriented, inadequate for acute, critical and life-threatening diseases, but has a complementary and alternative role to WM. Of the 44 diseases/disorders, 36 (81.8%) reached consensus, worthy for integrative clinical use or trials. CONCLUSIONS: Integrative TC&WM, combining the best features of two systems, could be a most useful and advanced healthcare medicine in the future, requiring development of regulations and guidelines for the use of TCM and more rigorous efforts have to be made in clinical trials.