Boyoung Kim

Development of a template for the classification of traditional medical knowledge in Korea.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Traditional Medical Knowledge (TMK) is a form of Traditional Knowledge associated with medicine that is handed down orally or by written material. There are efforts to document TMK, and make database to conserve Traditional Medicine and facilitate future research to validate traditional use. Despite of these efforts, there is no widely accepted template in data file format that is specific for TMK and, at the same time, helpful for understanding and organizing TMK. AIM OF THE STUDY We aimed to develop a template to classify TMK. MATERIALS AND METHODS First, we reviewed books, articles, and health-related classification systems, and used focus group discussion to establish the definition, scope, and constituents of TMK. Second, we developed an initial version of the template to classify TMK, and applied it to TMK data. Third, we revised the template, based on the results of the initial template and input from experts, and applied it to the data. RESULTS We developed the template for classification of TMK. The constituents of the template were summary, properties, tools/ingredients, indication/preparation/application, and international standard classification. We applied International Patent Classification, International Classification of Diseases (Korea version), and Classification of Korean Traditional Knowledge Resources to provide legal protection of TMK and facilitate academic research. The template provides standard terms for ingredients, preparation, administration route, and procedure method to assess safety and efficacy. CONCLUSIONS This is the first template that is specialized for TMK for arranging and classifying TMK. The template would have important roles in preserving TMK, and protecting intellectual property. TMK data classified with the template could be used as the preliminary data to screen potential candidates for new pharmaceuticals.

Development of an adverse events reporting form for Korean folk medicine.

We developed an adverse events (AEs) reporting form for Korean folk medicine.

Traditional Korean Medicine Doctors’ Awareness and Utilization of Case Reports

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess traditional Korean medicine (TKM) doctors’ awareness and utilization of case reports based on the opinion that careful observation of cases sometimes provides important information on clinical trials, especially in the field of traditional medicine research. Methods: A questionnaire study was conducted among TKM doctors who participated in the annual continuous maintenance education (CME) held in five regions of the Republic of Korea. Results: Almost 60% of the respondents had read case reports published in medical journals, and 67% had openly shared their clinical cases with their colleagues. Of the respondents, 18.6% had been educated on reporting cases, and only 16% had the experience of reporting cases on their own. However, 32.6% of the respondents had intentions to report cases in the future. The results showed significant differences between general physicians who hold a license but have no hospital training on case reports and board-certified TKM doctors who have experienced such training. Conclusions: A majority of TKM doctors have read case reports but have little experience with proper training. This research found that awareness of case reports is rising in hospital training. Thus, the objective of case report education for TKM doctors who undergo hospital training should be to encourage them to write more whereas for doctors who do not experience hospital training, the objective should be to exposing them more to case reports to heighten their awareness.