Abstract
Background and Aims : The use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) may increase the patient's will to fight the disease and has some advantageous effects. However, it may also have the disadvantages of financial burden and side effects. The purpose of this study was to clarify the use of CAM in Japanese patients with liver disease. Methods : An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 500 outpatients in the Liver Disease Department in Gunma prefecture in east Japan, from August to June 1999. Results : Among 405 patients, 267 (65.9%) had experienced CAM, with 153 patients (37.8%) using it at that time. Among 267 patients who had experienced CAM, only 16.5% patients had consulted a doctor or nurse about it. The subjective evaluation as “effective” of CAM was only 10-30% in each therapy. Seven of 267 patients (2.6%) reported that their physical condition deteriorated due to CAM. The maximum difficulty in using CAM was “expense”. Conclusion : Only a few patients consults a doctor or nurse about CAM. As for most CAM, the patients' subjective evaluations were low, and some side effects were reported. These suggests that patients with liver disease should learn the right and safe way to use CAM.
