Traditional chinese medicine and complementary and alternative medicine: A systematic review on chinese views and a comparison with western perspective

Healthcare professionals worldwide have started to appreciate patients' perspectives on the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) particularly given its popularity. However, cultural perspectives may vary and research findings on the use of CAM from the West may not be generalisable to the East. This systematic review of 28 quantitative and qualitative studies summarises perspectives of views of Chinese populations' toward traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and provides a comparison with related findings from Western populations. The authors' synthesized finding suggests that the views of Chinese patients on TCM are substantially different when compared with percep-tions of CAM by Western patients. Particular differences include aspects of (1) beliefs and decision making processes, (2) choice of information source and knowledge ownership, (3) perceived benefits of integration and (4) meaning of holism. These differences highlight the need for healthcare professionals treating Chinese patients to be aware of the cultural relevance of TCM.