- 期刊
臺灣的中醫醫療政策
Health Care Policy on Traditional Chinese Medicine in Taiwan
摘要
另類醫療（包括中醫、針灸、中藥）在歷經了多年被主流醫學的對抗及誤解後，現由於各國健康需求而快速成長，且有愈來愈多證據顯示其療效而開始受到重視，世界衛生組織因此開始規劃另類醫療法規、指引及各國另類醫療政策，並得到大陸相當程度的參與及協助，大陸因此而建立其中醫國際品牌的形象，為世界衛生組織訂定國際中醫師、中醫師資、教材等規格且逐步於各國建立中醫學校、診所、學會等據點。大陸傳統中醫教育甚至吸引許多臺灣學生跨國教育消費，成為我國中醫服務業衝擊最大的國家。大陸成功的將中醫藥管理、研究，轉化為知識經濟，成為其他國家學習、諮商及合作的對象，很可以做為臺灣衛生單位訂定醫療政策的借鏡，臺灣如何藉由中醫己融合入國家健康照護體系，且具有世界上最長年限的中醫教育的高品質特色，將國內良好的現代醫療水準與全球化的概念連結起來，進而向大陸或東南亞國家，輸出高品質的醫療知識、技術及管理，或甚至於提供跨國服務，如何可以創造臺灣中醫在全球化、健康、生技產業上潛在的可能貢獻及國家經濟利益，值得政策制定者省思。
並列摘要
Background and Purpose: In its decades-long struggle for recognition and respectability, alternative medicine, which covers a range of therapies including acupuncture, massage, herbal remedies and chiropractics, has endured many insults and overcome unflattering, and possibly unfair, comparisons to organized medicine in many countries. The last decade has seen a considerable growth in popular, official and commercial interest in the use of traditional remedies. Methods: Now with many member states responding to the World Health Organization's (WHO) call for them to give adequate importance to the utilization of their traditional systems of medicine, traditional practices and remedies are being brought increasingly within the scope of health services. China has assisted in setting global standards and a development framework for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) within the WHO, and has already become an internationally renowned flagship of TCM, and secured her position in the increasingly competitive global markets of TCM education and service. Results: The immediate impact on TCM trade comes from China, by running a large TCM educational market to attract Taiwanese students. Within the next few years, TCM will eventually become more and more popular and accessible in many places in the world due to promotion from the WHO. At critical moments in world history, a correlation between globalization and a country's ability to protect and promote health has been one of the few truly universal aspirations. Optimal integration of TCM is a long-term endeavor-a marathon rather than a sprint-despite the lack of reliable, rigorous science supporting the use of most TCM treatments. China showcased a successful health policy, to be admired by many other countries. This raises some thoughts concerning the relationship between current international trends and Taiwan's present day policy on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), whose impact on health is likely to be profound. Conclusion: TCM education in Taiwan has the highest cost and the longest duration in the world. In fact, integration of TCM into the health care system is under way in Taiwan. Globalization is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon which Taiwan's policy-makers need to refine into a large-scale health policy. This article was the first in a series intended to address some of the problems within Taiwan's TCM health policy, including related issues of primary health care, health providers and world trade services.