Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by diabetic patients in the past year.Methods: A total of 289 patients in a diabetic outpatient department participated in this study. The study involved purposive sampling, a self-structured questionnaire, and face-to-face interviews.Data analysis: Data were then analyzed through frequency, mean, standard deviation, and Chi-square.Result: The prevalence of diabetic patients using CAM was 37% within the past year. The most commonly used types of CAM were biological-based therapies (58.9%). There was no significant difference between socio-demographics and morbidity, and between CAM and non-CAM users (p>0.05). There were differences in perceived health status, and whether the use of CAM was statistically significant (p<0.001).Conclusion: In the medical environment, understanding patient CAM usage is necessary. Medical staffs in clinical and educational setting require academic references related to CAM, and the results of this study can be used as a reference for future healthcare planning.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by diabetic patients in the past year.Methods: A total of 289 patients in a diabetic outpatient department participated in this study. The study involved purposive sampling, a self-structured questionnaire, and face-to-face interviews.Data analysis: Data were then analyzed through frequency, mean, standard deviation, and Chi-square.Result: The prevalence of diabetic patients using CAM was 37% within the past year. The most commonly used types of CAM were biological-based therapies (58.9%). There was no significant difference between socio-demographics and morbidity, and between CAM and non-CAM users (p>0.05). There were differences in perceived health status, and whether the use of CAM was statistically significant (p<0.001).Conclusion: In the medical environment, understanding patient CAM usage is necessary. Medical staffs in clinical and educational setting require academic references related to CAM, and the results of this study can be used as a reference for future healthcare planning.