THE PRACTICE OF CHINESE MEDICINE IN TAIWAN

This paper examines the practice of Chinese medicine in Taiwan. Using a national sample survey of Chinese medicine physicians, supplemented by another national survey of Chinese medicine hospitals and governmen t records, the authors study the education and training background of Chinese medicine physicians, their mode of practice, their productivit y measured by patient visits, and the practice characteristics of Chin ese medicine hospitals. Moreover, the authors investigate the relation ship between the resource input, the public health insurance contract, and the number of patient visits Chinese medicine physicians provided . Results of this study are used to make several recommendations on th e appropriate way of integrating the practice of Chinese medicine into the modern health care system. Many of these recommendations may also be applicable to other countries that are contemplating integrating t raditional or alternative medicine into their health care systems. Cop yright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd