The Relationship between Using Complementary Alternative Medicine and Quality of Life among Hospitalized Women with Liver Diseases

• Main Authors: Lien, Ching-Wen, 連靜雯
• Other Authors: Tsao, Lee-Ing
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2019
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/hgse42

碩士 === 國立臺北護理健康大學 === 護理研究所 === 107 === Background: Liver diseases (chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer) is a common diseases in Chinese. Patient often hospitalized due to complications such as ascites, esophageal varices, and hepatic encephalopathy. The quality of life of patients is affected deeply. Literatures reviewing have shown that about 41% of patients use Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) to treat liver diseases.Most patients use the CAM privately, because it is not a doctor's advice and the medical relationship is not trusted. Patients who use CAM less talk about with medical personnels. However, female are infected vertically with mother in hepatitis. The liver fibrosis after menopause is more serious than before menopause. However, there are few studies on situations of female patients of chronic liver diseases with CAM. Purposes: The purposes of this study involved as follow: The situation of CAM in hospitalized women with liver diseases; The difference in quality of life of women with or without CAM; The difference in quality of life of women who use CAM with different characteristics; The experiences of using CAM wew including the reasons of use CAM, the reasons for the interruption and its conscious effect. Methods: This study applied the qualitative and quantitative mixed method, and purposive sampling in the Gastroenterology and Hepatology ward of a medical center in northern Taiwan. The data collection includes in-depth interviews and questionnaires survey about patient background data, CAM questionnaires, and Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ). In addition, qualitative data are about open questions and patients could be free to answer. Results and recommendations: A total of 53 hospitalized female patients who mean age is 66.9 years old were collected. The 35 cases (66%) had used CAM to interview CAM-related experiences. Effects of female patients with or without CAM on quality of life were measured by the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ). Total scores of quality of life is higher while patients using CAM, and the fatigue and activity ratio of patients with CAM are significantly better than the others. Further, there was a high proportion of patients with liver diseases using CAM found that they have fixed incomes, live with family and those with liver cancer. Qualitative data of subjective experience descriptions of female patients using CAM were summarizing as follow: Reasons for using CAM involved about solving physical discomfort, worsening the condition, believing in nature, harmless of herbs, medicine can not cure, choose among limited options, recommend by relatives and friends, and consider physical health other than liver disease; Self-evaluation of efficacy: spiritual comfort, relieve soreness, no difference, worsening condition; Reasons for interruption: hospitalization, financial burden, complication; The predicament of using CAM: interpersonal contradiction between eating and not eating, worried about physicians' opposition, lack of information. This study can understand the situation of female patients with liver diseases using CAM and quality of life. In addition, how to assist and improve the fatigue and activity of female patients. It is suggested that further study should be carried out in combination with CAM therapy. The team members should take an active attitude to understand the reasons for use of CAM, to discuss with patients and provide relevant knowledge to improve the quality of care.